The Blue Arrow
by IvyLupin415
Summary: You've heard of Tala Merlyn, right? Haven, the hero of Central City? The woman who fights viciously alongside the Flash to help save the city from Metahumans? She didn't start there, she started right here, in Starling City, fighting alongside her brother, the Green Hood.
1. 101 Pilot

Anya looked up from her book to see a young woman in tattered clothing walk past the building she was sitting in. She set her book aside and walked out into the snow, drawing her parka tighter around her as she approached the girl.

"Are you lost?" Anya asked in Russian. The girl looked at her, gaunt and frightened.

"I think so," The girl responded in the same language, her voice was thin, and raspy. "I just want to get home."

Anya directed the girl into the building, pushing a cup of hot coffee into her hands and wrapping her in a blanket kept around for the coldest days. It may have been August, but summer in Svetogorsk, Russia just meant that the mercury stayed at about three above freezing.

"Where is your home, Little One?" Anya asked the girl. "What is your name?"

"Starling City. My name is Tala Merlyn," The girl said, sipping at the black coffee. "I was on a boat in the China Sea, heading for Hong Kong with family friends. It went down in a storm, in 2007."

"Tala, that was five years ago," Anya said, pointing to the date on her computer screen. She watched as Tala slumped in her chair, looking saddened. "Who should I call to get you sent home?"

"My father," Tala said, a small happiness creeping into her eyes. "Malcolm Merlyn."

Anya handed the girl the phone in the office and watched as she dialed her father's number.

"Merlyn," A man's voice came through the line.

"Dad, it's me," Tala said, her voice breaking slightly. "It's Tala."

"My daughter is dead," The man barked, pain apparent in his voice. "This is a cruel prank, don't call back here again."

"Alab!" Tala cried. "Please, it's me, it's really Tala. I survived. I want to come home."

"Tala? My aibnatu?" He asked. Anya watched as tears fell down the girl's cheeks, causing some of the dirt to wash away. "Where are you?"

Tala handed the phone to Anya, not knowing where she was, or how to get home from there.

"Mister Merlyn, my name is Anya, I am the woman who found your daughter," Anya said in heavily accented English. "She was wandering around Svetogorsk, Russia, near the Finnish border."

"Her boat was in the China Sea when it went down, how did she get to the other side of the continent?" Malcolm asked, bewildered. Tala and Anya shrugged, neither knowing the answer to that question. "It doesn't matter. How can I get my daughter home?"

"I have a cargo plane, heading for Central City in a few hours," Anya said, smiling at the lost girl. "I can secure her a place on it, and you can meet her there."

"Thank you. Thank you for finding my daughter," Malcolm said, ending the call.

In Starling City, the CEO sagged against the back of his chair, tears of relief starting to form in his eyes. Malcolm grabbed his office phone and reached out to his personal secretary.

"Sally, get ahold of the pilot, I'm taking the jet to Central City," Malcolm ordered, smiling at the picture of him and his children on his desk.

"Of course sir, any specific reason?" Sally asked.

"Tala is alive," Malcolm said.

Tala showered in the locker room for TSA agents in the airport, scrubbing the dirt off of her body. Anya had left her a change of clothes, a pair of cargo pants and a thick blue sweater. Tala started drying off, pulling on the clothing before looking at her reflection in the mirror. Tala quickly tied back her hair, tucking the long braid under her shirt before leaving the locker room, heading toward Anya.

"Thank you for the clothes, and the shower," Tala said in Russian, smiling at the woman. Anya pulled her into a gentle hug, mindful of the bruises on the young woman.

"Of course Little One," Anya said, smiling. "Anything to help you get home. The plane will take you to Central City, where your father will meet you to take you to Starling. You will get proper hospital care in your city."

Tala waved to Anya as she stepped on the loading ramp of the cargo plane. She sat on the floor next to a crate, holding onto the netting behind her as the plane started taxiing onto the runway for takeoff. Tala thought back to her time in the military, sitting in a similar position between her two best friends. She briefly wondered how they were doing before she dozed off, leaning against the crate and the wall of the plane.

Tala awoke suddenly, feeling the plane start to lower itself to land in Central City. She took stock of her body, feeling cramped from the uncomfortable sleeping position. Tala stretched, rolling her neck and shoulders stiffly to remove the cricks. She stood, and held on to the canvas netting as the plane landed with a bump; Tala grinned, knowing she was finally home.

Tala Merlyn walked through Central City's airport, looking around at all the people. It had been a while since the woman was surrounded by more than a hundred people at one time, and though she didn't show it she was mildly overwhelmed. Tala was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice someone in her path until she walked right into them. Her instincts acted before she had time to think, catching the man and bracing him until he caught his balance.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," Tala said, looking at the man she'd run into.

"It's alright. Nice reflexes though," The man said, laughing airily. Tala found herself smiling at the unknown man. "Have a nice trip, or if you just landed, enjoy the city."

Tala watched the dark haired man walk away, smiling softly. It had been awhile since she had been just another person, she idly wondered if she would ever see the man again as she walked toward the exit that would lead her to the Merlyn Jet. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as the mystery man vanished around the corner before she walked out into the sunlight. Tala smiled at the sight of the sleek jet, emblazoned with her last name in silver. The stairs were down, and Tala walked up them, remembering the last time she boarded the jet - when her father dragged her home from the Army.

"Tala," Malcolm said as his daughter came into view. "It really is you."

"Alab!" Tala said as she ran to hug him. She smiled against his jacket, happy to be back home.

"Tala, where were you?" Malcolm asked, sitting them both on the couch as the jet started preparing for takeoff. "I searched and searched, I thought I had killed you."

Tala frowned at her father's statement, confusion furrowing her brow as she looked at him intently.

"You thought you killed me?" Tala asked slowly. "How could you have killed me? The Gambit went down in a storm after engine failure."

"It wasn't engine failure," Malcolm said, looking at Tala. "It was a bomb I had someone plant. Robert Queen was supposed to be the only casualty. I didn't know you, or Oliver, or Sara were on the boat, I swear."

Tala stared at her father, confusion and anger a palpable tension between them as the pilot started taking off. Neither spoke, Tala unable to question her Father's intentions, and him unable to ruin the silence that had settled.

Tala walked out of her bedroom at the sound of the front door opening. She held her jacket in her hand, hoping to go for a ride around town later to get used to the city again. She turned to go down the stairs, and saw Tommy standing at the end of the hallway, staring at her. He was pale, blinking at her with his mouth open in surprise. Tala smiled and ran to him, jumping to hug him. Tommy wrapped his arms around her slowly.

"You're alive," He whispered into her hair, holding her tightly. "The boat?"

"It threw me. Far away, I watched it burn and sink," Tala said, hugging her older brother tightly. "I washed up on an island somewhere, where I made my way to Russia. I'm home Tommy."

Tommy looked at her, seeing the scars across her bare arms, and the tattoos covering the burn scars on her right shoulder. Tala gave him a wry smile, noticing what he was looking at.

"What happened to you out there?" Tommy asked, touching the scars lightly. He looked at his younger sister with sadness in his eyes.

"The boat burned me, when the engine exploded. My right shoulder and my left thigh and hip," Tala said, rubbing her leg where the scars and tattoos were hidden by her jeans. "When I was on the island, I wasn't alone - there was a gang. They tattooed over the scars to make me more attractive. So I could bring them in more money. They sent me to the mainland, where I eventually managed to escape."

"You're safe now. I promise," Tommy said, taking her hand. Tala smiled at her brother, pulling him back toward the front door.

"I need to officially come back to life," Tala said smiling. "I need to see Laurel, Quentin, Thea. Everyone who missed me while I was... dead."

Tommy grinned and started his car; Tala hopped over the closed door and sat in the passenger seat of the convertible.

Tala laid down on her bed back at Merlyn Manor, staring at the ceiling. Everything felt as unfamiliar as the first time she came back to Starling City, six years ago. It was then that she first met Oliver and Sara, the girl she would quickly fall in love with.

 _Billionaire playboy Oliver Queen entered the nightclub his best friend said he was at in a navy blue shirt, the top few buttons undone, and the sleeves rolled up - as he was told he looked best. He was going to meet up with his girlfriend and her sister in a bit, but first he was going to the bar to get a round of shots. And maybe a beer. He walked up to the bar to order and watched the girl next to him. She had dark red hair and wore a blue dress. She had five shots of something that could've been vodka or tequila. She nodded to the bartender and lifted the first shot. She pointed it to the sky and said something in a foreign language._

" _Manzelle? What does that mean?" He asked her._

" _Manzil. It means home in Arabic. I haven't been home, here, in years. I'm saluting my return," She explained, turning to look at him._

 _He tried to stay objective, remembering his commitment to Laurel, but even then he couldn't help but notice the muscle tone on her arms and legs. This girl was tough, and beautiful._

" _Well then, welcome home. Finish your drinks and I'll take you and introduce you to my friends. My best friend would probably love you," Oliver watched as she downed the rest of the shots in quick succession_

" _Lead the way Oliver Queen," He raised an eyebrow at her and held out his arm - his mother had taught him manners, even if he ignored them a lot - and led her to where Tommy, him and the girls agreed to meet them. They were all there already._

" _Ollie!" Laurel said, smiling as he appeared._

" _Who's your friend Ollie?" Sara asked, adjusting the strap to her small bag that rested on her hip._

" _Tala, you haven't introduced yourself yet?" Tommy asked the new girl._

" _You know her? I found her at the bar; she said she hadn't been here in a few years. She hasn't given me her name yet," Tala pulled away from Oliver and moved to stand between Tommy and Laurel._

" _My name is Tala Merlyn. I'm Tommy's little sister. I was raised away from Starling to avoid the spotlight and the lifestyle you all enjoy. Recently though, I was away because I was stationed in Kandahar protecting a warlord with Special Forces." Both of the girls and Oliver stared at her in surprise, whether it was because of the familial revelation, or her being in the army, she wasn't sure. She took a sip from the drink Tommy placed in front of her and watched his friends. Sara Lance was the first one to recover from her surprise._

" _Well, Tala, any family of Tommy's is a friend of ours. I'm just glad no one suggested that you two would be cute together," She and her sister laughed as Tommy and Tala looked at each other and made a face at the thought of being together._

" _I say we need more drinks! Tommy said that I don't drink enough, and I'm going to prove I can drink plenty!" They all cheered and tossed back their current drinks, heading to the bar again for more._

Tala smiled at the memory, before standing and turning to her window, seeing a shadow in the glass. She drew a knife from her waistband, walking silently toward her balcony.

"Peace, The'eb Sagheer. I hold you no threat," The shadow spoke in quiet Japanese. "I bring you gifts from Nanda Parbat."

"Welcome to my home, Sarab," Tala greeted, allowing the man to enter her room. He handed Tala a wooden trunk, locked with a padlock, marked in white. "Thank you for bringing me my things. I know not if I'll need them, but I would miss them."

"You would miss your jewelry collection you mean," Sarab said, laughing dryly. Tala laughed as she sliced her thumb open with her knife and pressed it to the white mark, opening the lock. "I don't know how you're going to explain away your sudden acquisitions."

"I'm the only legitimate daughter of a billionaire," Tala said, looking at one of the necklaces sitting underneath her armor. "It's expected for me to have ridiculously expensive things."

"As you wish. I am needed back at Nanda Parbat," Sarab said, walking back toward the balcony. "Shall I bring your regards with me?"

"Tell Ta-er al-Sahfer and Warith al Ghul that I miss them both," Tala said, examining a bracelet under the lamplight next to her bed. "And tell Nyssa that next time she dumps me somewhere, I'd prefer a warmer climate. I hate snow."

By the time Tala put the bracelet on her dresser, Sarab was gone. Tala laid back on her bed, her trunk locked and hiding under it. She stared at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. Sara was back in Nanda Parbat, not wanting to come home after everything she'd been through. Tala understood it, but missed the blonde assassin. But more than that, now that Tala was back in Starling City, it felt weird without Sara and Ollie. For her, there had always been five of them. Now there were only three, and it felt incomplete.

Tala sighed and walked to her closet, pulling out a flannel Oliver had left there six years ago when they crashed at Merlyn Manor after a night of heavy drinking. She pulled it on and left, slipping through the house like a ghost toward where her motorcycle was parked, kicking it to life. Tala drove to the Queen's Mansion, parking it a ways away from the house as to not risk waking them. The assassin climbed up the side of the house until she reached the window that led into Ollie's room.

Tala carefully jimmied the lock open with her knife before climbing into the room, looking around it.

"I miss you, Ollie. I wish you hadn't died with me angry at you," Tala said to the empty room. She turned suddenly, holding her knife out as the door opened.

"Hello?" Thea's voice came from the doorway. Tala quickly put her knife on the desk.

"It's just me Thea. I couldn't sleep at home," Tala said, stepping into the circle of moonlight coming from the open window. "I thought maybe coming here would help."

"You miss him too?" Thea asked, walking into the room and sitting on the bed, patting it for Tala to join her.

"Just before the boat went down, I caught him and Sara together," Tala said, taking Thea's hand. "They died thinking I hated them. When I was out there, in Russia, I thought I had made my peace with it... I guess I haven't yet."

"If Oliver were here, do you know what he would do?" Thea asked, looking at Tala. "He would apologize, and give you one of those puppy dog smiles he was always giving the other girls."

Tala laughed, pulling the younger girl into a hug when she noticed the tears in her eyes. Tala herself had tears rolling down her cheeks, but they weren't completely sad anymore.

"I think I'm going to sleep here for tonight, is that alright with you?" Tala asked Thea.

"You're family, Tala," Thea said, rising from the bed. "Stay here as often as you need to."

"Tala, wake up!" Thea shouted as she burst into Oliver's bedroom. She shrieked and dropped to the ground, avoiding the blue blade that Tala blindly threw from the bed. "Jesus, Tala, it's just me!"

"Shit, Thea, I'm sorry," Tala said, sitting up groggily. "Are you okay?"

"I ducked, thankfully. Now get up!" Thea repeated, bouncing on her toes as the assassin slowly climbed out of the bed.

"What's so exciting?" Tala asked as she pulled on another of Oliver's shirts before reaching for her shorts. She tied the shirt up and silently followed her excited half-sister out of the room, to the stairs leading downstairs, where Thea hesitated. Tala stood behind her, leaning into the shadows as the doors opened.

"Your room is exactly as you left it," Moira's voice said. "I never had the heart to change a thing."

"Oliver," Walter Steele boomed, making Tala's heart skip a beat. "It's damn good to see you. It's Walter, Walter Steele?"

"You remember Walter, your father's friend from the company," Moira said. Tala blinked rapidly, trying to calm her breathing before she devolved into hysterics.

"It's good to see you, Raisa," Oliver's voice came from the entry and Tala grabbed Thea's hand looking at her with tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Welcome home, Mister Oliver," Raisa said, sounding thrilled. "Mister Merlyn called. He wants to join you for dinner."

Tala blinked at the mention of her brother, wondering if he had tried to call her about Oliver's survival. She suppressed a sob, looking up at Thea as she sunk to the floor. Thea smiled at her softly, knowing that the older girl only left Oliver's room for food and coffee the past few days, falling into a depression over losing her closest friends. Thea nodded and started walking down the flight of stairs, rounding the corner. Tala watched as she hesitated.

"Hey, sis," Oliver said. Tala watched Thea run down the stairs to her brother. Tala stepped out of the shadow and silently walked down the first flight of stairs as Thea hugged Ollie.

"I knew it. I knew you were alive," Thea said, pulling Oliver into a hug.

"You were with me the whole time," Oliver said softly. Thea pulled away from the hug, looking at Oliver.

"I have a surprise for you," She said.

"I've only been back a few days, how could you?" Oliver asked as Tala walked into his view. "Tala..."

"Ollie," Tala cried, clutching the banister as she tried not to fall down the stairs. Oliver ran up the steps, taking them two at a time, scooping Tala up into his strong arms as her knees gave out, letting her fall against his chest. She sobbed, leaning against his shoulder, truly smiling for the first time since she returned to Starling.

Oliver carried the crying girl to his room, which held evidence of her stay. He sat her on the bed before sitting next to her.

"I thought you died," Tala said in a small voice, looking at him with watery eyes. "I thought I lost you, and that I would never get to tell you that I forgive you."

"I thought you died hating me," Oliver said, cupping her cheek. "Sara and I thought you died hating us both."

"She got off the boat?" Tala asked, knowing full well that Sara had survived. "Where is she?"

"Gone," Oliver said. "We were fighting a man named Slade on the Amazo, off the coast of the island; Lian Yu. The boat exploded, and Sara went down with it again. I did too but was rescued by a woman named Amanda Waller."

"I think I know her," Tala mused. "Doesn't she have ties to ARGUS?"

"Yes," Oliver said, his body tense. Tala frowned.

"You don't have to tell me what you went through. I won't ask you about it," Tala said, taking his hand. "But I understand that it was hard. I'm on your side, and here for you, no matter what Ollie. You're family now."

Oliver hugged the girl tightly, glad she had made it too. It was strange for them both to be back in civilization, but together they had a better chance of adjusting.

Oliver walked out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist as he prepared for dinner with Tommy. Tala was sitting on the floor in front of his mirror, fiddling with her wet hair, trying to force it into a better style.

"After five years away, everything is unrecognizable," Oliver said, looking out the window. "Even my reflection is that of a stranger."

"I understand that," Tala said, looking at his reflection. "When I first came back, Tommy took me around the city. I think he's going to take you tomorrow, it was such an adjustment. I came here that night, haven't left the mansion since."

Tala stood and looked at Oliver's scars, tracing her fingers gently over a few of them. Oliver placed his hand on her burn scar on her shoulder, before handing her the shirt she had laid out.

"Tommy should be here soon," Oliver said, reaching for his shirt. "Let's get downstairs before he tries to kill me for seeing you undressed."

Tala snorted, rolling her eyes. She finished getting dressed, laughing at the thought that Tommy could beat her in a fight. They walked downstairs, and Oliver started looking at the pictures set on the table in the entryway. Tala turned to the doors as she heard Tommy walk up. He opened the doors and smiled at her.

"What did I tell you," Tommy greeted Oliver. "Yachts suck."

"Tommy Merlyn," Oliver greeted as Tommy walked over to hug his oldest friend. Tala smiled, happy to have most of her group back. Tommy grabbed her and pulled her into the hug, sandwiching her between the two taller men. "I missed you, buddy."

Tala led the two boys to the dining room, where she sat on Tommy's right side, letting him sit next to Oliver. Raisa brought out their plates, setting a cup of coffee in front of her with a smile. Tala thanked her in soft Russian, holding the warm drink in her hands.

"Okay, so what else did you two miss?" Tommy asked, sipping his wine. "Super bowl winners - Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. A black president, that's new. Oh, and _Lost_ , they were all dead, I think."

Tala winked at Thea, smiling at the boys. Thea glanced at Oliver again, trying to reassure herself that he was really home.

"What was it like there?" The younger girl asked. "Both of you?"

Tala smirked, remembering the warmth and dryness of Nanda Parbat and how it differed from where she had claimed to be. Conversation froze around the table, as if she had brought up a taboo subject. Tala smiled softly at her, letting her know she didn't mind the question.

"Cold," Oliver and Tala both said, looking at the other in surprise.

"Tomorrow, the three of us, we're doing the city," Tommy told Oliver, pushing past the sudden silence around the table. "There's a lot you've got to catch up on."

"That sounds like a great idea," Moira said from the other end of the table.

"Good," Oliver said, a forced smile on his face. Tala studied him, wondering what was going on that she didn't notice. "Then I was hoping to swing by the office."

Tala blinked, knowing Oliver had never wanted to have anything to do with Queen Consolidated. She shifted her gaze to Walter as he froze. Moira seemed pleased but surprised, Walter seemed annoyed.

"Well, there's plenty of time for all that," Walter said, setting his wine glass down, without taking a sip. Tala wondered what was going on that she didn't know about. "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."

Tala turned back to Oliver as Raisa tripped, and Oliver caught her and the bowl she was carrying easily.

"I am so sorry Mister Oliver," She said. Oliver brushed away her apologies in fluent Russian. Only Tala's training as an assassin kept her shock from showing on her face.

"Dude, you speak Russian?" Tommy asked, laughing in shock.

"I didn't realize you took Russian in college, Oliver," Walter said. Tala knew that wasn't the case as he didn't speak Russian before the island. She thought back, wondering when he would've learned it when she remembered the tattoo on his chest. He was a Bratva Captain, like her. Tala felt her respect and confusion growing in equal measure.

"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter," Oliver responded, the same casual, forced smile on his face. Tala took a sip of her coffee, pride shining in her eyes. She watched the staring match, between mother and son with amusement before Thea broke the silence.

"I didn't say anything," Thea said.

"She didn't have to," Oliver said, smiling at his little sister gently, the first true emotion on his face since the meal started. Moira nodded, mildly annoyed. She turned and took Walter's hand.

"Oliver, Walter and I are married," Moira said. Tala raised her eyebrows, not having known that bit of information. The assassin knew they were sleeping together, but hadn't known it was more than that. "And I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."

"We both believed that Robert, like you and Tala, were well, gone," Walter said, looking between the two resurrected people.

"It's fine," Oliver said, Tala noticed that his body language was saying that it wasn't fine. He stood, looking at his mother. "May I be excused?"

Oliver grabbed an apple at his mother's nod, and turned to leave, clapping Tommy on the shoulder as he walked past.

"Hey, don't forget about tomorrow," Tommy said gently. Oliver winked at Thea before pressing his hand on the back of Tala's neck. The assassin stood, placing her napkin next to her empty coffee mug.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Tommy," Tala said as she looked around the table. "Thank you for dinner, Moira, Walter."

Tala followed quickly behind Oliver, catching his hand as they walked back up to his room. She could feel how tense he was, it vibrated through the set of his shoulders into a slight tremor in his hands. Tala squeezed his hand, letting him know she was there for him.

Tala fell asleep quickly, wearing a shirt from Oliver's closet. She felt almost back to normal, like the last five years hadn't happened. Tala thought that she had a chance at a normal life, she could go back to school and maybe take over the family company, using martial arts as a form of physical exercise rather than the form of survival she had become accustomed to.

Tala jerked awake with a crash of thunder, realizing the window was open. She looked around for the threat, and found two people hovering over Oliver. In her half asleep state, she didn't recognize Walter; leaping across the bed and holding a knife to his throat as Oliver woke up and flipped his mother, holding his hand to her neck. Tala realized what was going on and stepped back; Oliver snapped out of his PTSD and crawled backwards, looking fearfully at his mother and stepfather. Tala and Oliver locked horrified eyes, each wondering what the other was thinking.

"It's okay, Oliver. It's alright sweetheart," Moria comforted, crouching down in front of Oliver. "Both of you, you're home. You're home."

Tala hid the knife under the mattress as Moira walked to the bathroom to grab a towel to dry off Oliver and the floor in front of the window. Oliver sat on the bed next to Tala and let her take his hand until they left.

"You attacked Walter," Oliver whispered. It wasn't a question. Tala sighed, watching the two as they left, concerned looks on their faces.

"I saw him hovering over you and reacted. I didn't know it was him," Tala said, retrieving her knife. She held the blue blade by the hilt and looked at it in the light of the flashes from the storm. "At this point, it's an instinct. Can we talk about this later? I just want to sleep. Get in the bed."

"Oh so now you want to sleep with me," Oliver laughed shakily. Tala rolled her eyes. "I only had to be shipwrecked to do it."

"I just don't want to wake up alone," Tala said, snuggling into him. Oliver wrapped his arm around her waist and the two fell asleep.

Morning came too quickly for Tala who woke at the first light of dawn. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, padding down to the kitchen for a cup coffee with cream for her and a plain black cup for Oliver. When she returned to the room, Oliver was sitting up and looking around blearily. She grinned and handed him the mug.

"I'm gonna shower, if you don't mind," Tala said, drinking her cup quickly, knowing Tommy would bring her a cup too. Tala wandered into the shower, humming to herself as she heard Oliver wander around his room, getting dressed.

Tala walked down the hall toward Thea's room, running into her brother along the way.

"You know, I almost forgot how often you wear leather jackets," Tommy commented, making Tala smile. They turned to lean against the doorframe, watching as Oliver gave Thea a hozen.

"A rock! That is sweet," Tommy called, ruining the moment. "You know, I want one of those shirts that says 'my best friend was a castaway and all I got was this lousy shirt.'"

"I just want more coffee," Tala chirped, smiling at Thea from behind Ollie.

"Don't let the boys get you into too much trouble, Tala," Thea said, smiling. "You two only just got back."

Tala smiled as Thea hugged Oliver. Tommy cleared his throat, making the assassin roll her eyes.

"The city awaits!" Tommy said, leading Oliver back out of the room. Tala winked at Thea before following the boys, linking arms with them. "Have you noticed how hot your sister has gotten? Because I have not."

Tommy changed his tune at Oliver's sharp look. Tala gagged, thinking about the incest that would happen if Tommy went down that road. She shook her head and climbed into the backseat of Tommy's car, letting Oliver ride up front.

"Your funerals blew," Tommy said as they pulled into the Glades. Tala scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Did you get lucky?" Oliver asked. Tala chuckled and Tommy nodded.

"They were like fish in a barrel," Tommy laughed. "They were so sad, and huggy, and I am counting on another target rich environment for your welcome home bash."

"For the what?" Tala asked, raising her eyebrows at her brother. "I did not come home from a frozen hell to party."

"You two came back from the dead!" Tommy said, looking at Oliver, then in the rearview mirror at Tala. "That calls for a party. You two tell me where and when, I'll take care of everything."

Tala groaned, bracing herself against the wall as Tommy pulled a sharp corner. She looked out the window and saw the old Queen Consolidated steel factory. It had closed shortly before their departure on the Gambit.

"This city's gone to shit," Tommy said, looking around. "Your dad sold his factory just in time. Why'd you wanna drive through here anyway?"

"No reason," Ollie said, avoiding the question. She looked at the back of his seat curiously, wondering what he was thinking. She had seen the locked chest under his bed, and she noticed it looked suspiciously like hers, but since Tala couldn't read Mandrian, she didn't understand the labeling on it. She wondered again what Oliver had gone through on that island.

"So what did you two miss the most?" Tommy asked, driving again. "Steaks at the palm, drinks at the station, meaningless sex?"

"Laurel," Oliver said, causing Tala to smile sadly. She hadn't seen Laurel since the day she got back, choosing instead to hide herself away in Ollie's bedroom.

"Everyone is happy you're alive," Tommy said, glancing back at Tala. "You want to see the one person that isn't?"

Tala put her hand on Oliver's shoulder, squeezing gently. She understood Laurel's hurt over Sara and Oliver, but after living through thinking them both dead, she had forgiven them both and moved on. Tala had hurt, but upon finding Sara alive, she had healed of her pain. Tala read on her phone as Tommy drove them the three blocks to Laurel's legal aid office, CNRI. As Oliver got out to go talk to her, Tommy and Tala parked the car and went for coffee.

"What are your plans, now that you're back?" Tommy asked, looking at his sister. She tilted her head and thought about it.

"Harrison Wells, in Central City, is launching a particle accelerator in December of next year," Tala said excitedly, smiling up at Tommy. "I've already had Dad investing in Star Labs on my behalf for the past eight years or so. I'm thinking about going out there and applying as a Mechanical Engineer."

"You're going to leave?" Tommy asked, incredulous. "We just got you back!"

"Tommy, if I don't get out of Starling, Dad will have me married off to Hartley Rathaway to merge Rathaway Industries with the Merlyn Global Group," Tala said, glaring at the sidewalk. "I'd be CEO and a trophy wife for my gay best friend before I'm thirty. If I go to Star Labs, I can be something on my own merits before I am forced into the big chair at the company."

"Better you than me," Tommy scoffed. "I'd run the company to the ground, then end up on the streets."

"Nah, I won't let that happen," Tala said, laughing. "I have enough stored away to keep you from the streets. I've always got your back."

Laurel stormed past, glaring at the Merlyn siblings. Tala felt bad, thinking about Sara living in Nanda Parbat.

"How'd you think that was gonna go, Tommy?" She asked. Tala sighed, throwing her coffee cup in the trashcan.

"'Bout like that," Tommy said, looking after Laurel. Tala wondered if something had happened between the two of them. Oliver came back over, looking forlorn, but determined to get past it. The trio started walking back to where Tommy had parked.

"Okay, so we took care of that, good call," Tommy said, trying to break the tense mood. "Now we can make up for lost time. If you're not too sick of fish, I suggest we find some leggy models, and eat sushi off them, what do you say?"

Tala tensed as a dark van sped behind them, pulling up close. She pulled Tommy out of the way of the front bumper, reaching for the knife in her boot. She was crouched when a man in a mask shot her brother with a dart. Tala watched Oliver go down next. She lunged for the one closest to her as he shot another tranquilizer at her. Tala caught it, but pretended to go down, winking at Oliver who was fighting to keep hold of consciousness. She frowned as the masked men killed the man who came out of the warehouse. Tala pouted as they forced a bag over all three of their heads, making it obvious this wasn't a robbery.

Tala felt herself being thrown into the back of the van, annoyed that she would only be shot if she didn't keep pretending to be asleep. She counted the turns, deciding that they had driven them to the warehouse district near the docks. Tala forced herself to stay limp as they carried her and tossed her roughly onto a pile of plywood. She felt them toss Tommy down next to her, and wondered what was going on.

Tala opened her eyes slightly after the bag came off, and watched as they zip cuffed Oliver to the chair. She counted five of them, one had his back to her, and another was just pulling the bag off Oliver's head. She glanced around the room and noticed that none of the masked men were looking toward her, all more interested in watching Oliver.

"Mister Queen!" The masked man yelled, holding up a taser. "Did your father survive that accident?"

Oliver looked around, seeing Tommy, then meeting Tala's eyes. She grinned at him, pulling her hands free from behind her, untied.

"I ask the questions, you give me the answers," He said, before looking at his cohort. The man tased Oliver, who yelled in pain. Tala winced, knowing that hurt. "Did he make it to the island? Did he tell you anything?"

Tala wondered who had paid them to kidnap them, and why they were so fixated on Robert Queen. She looked at Oliver, meeting his eyes as he struggled to breathe normally through the pain of being tasered again. He nodded slightly, and Tala moved into place behind one of the men.

"Yes, he did," Oliver panted.

"What did he tell you Mister Queen?" The mask asked. Oliver slowed his breathing, glancing at Tommy before he looked up at the mask in front of him.

"He told me that I'm going to kill you," Oliver said. Tala raised an eyebrow at that, wondering what Oliver was going to do. The masks laughed, one of them almost spotting her.

"You're delusional," He said, getting back in Oliver's face. "You're zip-cuffed to that chair."

Tala watched as Oliver raised his hands showing them freed. Tala grinned as she grabbed the man in front of her as Oliver took on the two closest to him with the chair he was tied to. Tala grabbed him from behind, pulling his head down with a twist that shattered his top two vertebrae. The remaining two men split in different direction.

"You get him, I'll get this one!" Tala shouted at Oliver in Russian, knowing he'd understand. She ran after the man, noticing that he ditched the mask. Tala gave chase, leaping across the rooftop to roll onto the neighboring warehouse. The man shot at her, running backwards. Tala jumped over a smokestack, grabbing the knife from her boot and throwing it, smirking as it lodged itself in the man's sternum. He fell to his knees in shock as Tala almost casually walked over to him.

"Please, you don't have to do this," He gasped, not realizing he was already dying.

"But I want to," Tala pouted, cupping the man's cheeks. "And besides, no one can know my secret."

Tala leaned forward as if to kiss him, and snapped his neck, watching dispassionately as he fell to the ground. The assassin jerked her knife out of his chest and used his hoodie to clean it of blood, slipping it back into her boot as she lightly jogged back to where Tommy was just coming to, next to Oliver, who had a neutral expression on his face.

"I think we need to talk about what happened on that island," Tala greeted in Russian. "And what are we going to tell the cops?"

Tommy looked around, still groggy. Tala pulled her knife back out and cut the zip cuffs off his wrists.

"Man in a green hood rescued us," Oliver said in Russian, shrugging gently.

"And a woman in blue," Tala said shortly. "I dunno what your plan is, but it's including me now, regardless of how much you complain."

Oliver nodded and turned to Tommy who was starting to sit up. Tala shifted from assassin to concerned sister, carrying most of his weight as he tried to stand.

Tala sat in between Tommy and Oliver on the couch at Queen Mansion, looking at Detective Lance and the two police sketches on the table. One was of a woman in a hood, the other, a man. She hid her grin, knowing that neither of the drawings looked like either of them.

"So that's your story," Lance said, looking dubiously at Oliver. "A guy in a green hood, and a woman in blue flew in and took out five armed kidnappers? I mean, who are they? Why would they do that?"

"I dunno, find them and ask," Oliver said cheekily. Tala rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, what about you?" Lance turned to Tommy, who hadn't said a word yet. "You see the hoods?"

"I saw, just movement," Tommy said, making Tala lose some of the tension she held. "Everything was really blurry, I was kinda out of it."

"Yeah," Lance said almost wistfully. "It's funny, one day back and you've already got people gunning for you. Aren't you popular?"

"Were you able to identify the men?" Moira asked, sounding concerned.

"Scrubbed identities, untraceable weapons," Detective Pike said. "These were pros."

"Yeah, well they probably figured you'd pay a king's ransom to get your boy back," Lance said, anger starting to slip into his voice. "Or a Queen's ransom, as it were. After all, a parent would do anything to keep their child safe."

"Quentin, enough," Tala said, looking at the Detective. "If Oliver and I can think of anything else, or if Tommy starts unblurring his memory, we will call you. I promise."

Quentin and Detective Pike stood and moved to leave, packing up the sketches of the hoods.

"Your luck never seems to run out, does it?" Quentin asked Oliver, before he turned to Tala and his look softened. "Are you sure you're okay? They didn't hurt you?"

"Unconscious and rattled, but I'm okay Quentin, I promise," Tala said, smiling gently. She leaned forward to hug her ex girlfriend's father. Quentin hugged her tightly before leaving, only pausing to shoot Oliver another dirty look. Tommy left, saying he had somewhere to be, while Oliver and Tala went up to Oliver's room to talk.

"What happened to you on that island Oliver?" Tala asked, shutting the door behind her. "The Russian, getting out of the zip-cuffs, the trunk under your bed."

Oliver grabbed Tala and shoved her against the locked door, holding her by her throat. He looked down at her, using height advantage to try and intimidate her.

"And what about you? You killed the first man, and caught the tranq meant to knock us out," Oliver asked, glaring down at her. He froze when he felt the tip of her blade poking at his kidney. He looked at her, seeing her unconcerned expression and the knife she casually held in her hand. He let her go, taking a step back, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I was found by a man, after the boat crashed, a man named Ra's al Ghul. He saved my life in exchange for my loyalty," Tala said, moving to sit on the bed. Oliver followed and sat next to her. "If I served him for five years, my debt was repaid. So I did."

Tala told Oliver her story, telling him everything except for about Sara's survival. She told him of the training, the languages, and the assassinations. About the family she found there with Warith al Ghul, Sarab, Talibah, and Ta-er al-Sahfer. She told him about the jewelry collection she had amassed through her killings, and how she held no guilt over them.

In return, Oliver told her about the first year there, Robert's suicide, finding the island, Yao Fei and his daughter Shado. He told her about Fyers and the attempt on the plane. Oliver talked about the Amazo and Slade Wilson, and finding that Sara had survived, only to lose her when the boat went down. He told her about the AlphaOmega and Hong Kong and ARGUS. He told her about being Bratva and his promise to a woman who helped him survive a psycho with magic. Oliver talked about becoming a captain and training with a woman called Talia. He told her about his final fight with Kovar and the escape with the Chinese Fishermen.

"My father had this book, in his pocket. It's a list of names, and they're all bad people," Oliver said, handing her the book. "Adam Hunt, is on the list."

Oliver moved over to the desk, looking over the book and starting a search on Hunt while Tala read over his shoulder. She looked up when Raisa pushed open the door.

"You are different," Raisa said in greeting, making Oliver look up. "Not like you to read a book."

Tala chuckled as she reached around Oliver and put the computer screen to sleep, so Raisa couldn't see what they were working on.

"I missed you Raisa," Oliver said at Tala walked around to take the tray of fruits from the Russian maid. Tala set the tray on the set of drawers at the foot of the bed before eating an orange slice.

"No kitchen on the island," Raisa guessed, smiling at the returned boy.

"No. No friends either," Oliver said, standing from behind the desk. He came over and took an apple slice, biting into it happily. "Thank you. Do I really seem different?"

"No, you're still a good boy," Raisa said, smiling at Ollie.

"Oh, I think we all know I wasn't," Oliver said, approaching Raisa again. Tala laughed softly, selecting another fruit slice.

"But a good heart," Raisa said, placing her hand over Oliver's heart. Tala smiled, knowing that no matter what, Oliver did have a good heart.

"I hope so," Oliver said. "I wanna be the person you always told me I could be."

Raisa smiled at Oliver and Tala before she left. The two started on the fruit as they planned what they were going to do to get the money back from Adam Hunt.

"If one of us can get into his office, I can make a device, the size of your finger," Tala said, pulling on her coat. "It'll push a virus onto his wireless systems and steal the money, putting it into a new account. We can return it from there."

"I'm planning on making the steel factory a base," Oliver said, nodding along. "Let's head there for now, we can plan more once we're set up."

Tala grinned and shouldered her bag, the one Tommy had brought her, despite not knowing what was in it. They walked down to the entry hall, neither mentioning their plans for the night.

"Oliver, I want to introduce you to someone," Moira called before they could escape. Tala rolled her eyes, but halted dutifully. "John Diggle-"

"Johnnie?" Tala shouted, turning around at the mention of his name. She looked at him with a wide smile on his face before taking two quick steps and leaping at him, hugging him tightly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Afghanistan."

"I'm working in the private sector now," John said as he straightened himself out. "I'm working for Mrs. Queen now, to accompany Oliver."

Tala blinked rapidly, imagining Oliver's plan crumbling around them like shattered glass. She turned and glanced at the man in question, finding his neutral but startled expression mirroring her own. Tala smiled tightly at Oliver, wishing she was telepathic to know what he was thinking.

"I don't need a babysitter," Oliver said, turning back to his mother after a brief pause. Tala agreed, knowing Oliver could take care of himself.

"Darling, Oliver's a grown man," Walter said, surprising Tala as he jumped in on Oliver's behalf. "If he doesn't feel he needs armed protection..."

"Yeah, I understand," Moira cut him off, determined. "But this is something I need."

Tala rolled her eyes, glad her father was never this much of a helicopter parent. Oliver looked at John before nodding. Tala tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow at Oliver. He sent her a reassuring look before moving toward the car. She opened the door for Oliver, climbing in after him, her duffle perched on her lap.

"Where to, sir?" John asked, looking in the rearview mirror at Oliver. Tala smothered a laugh at John's formality.

"I think we are heading to the Palms for drinks," Oliver said, looking at Tala, who nodded. John nodded and pulled out of the driveway, heading toward Starling City proper.

"So..." Oliver said, tapping the back of Tala's hand. "What do I call you?"

"Diggle's good," John said, focusing on the road. "Dig if you want. Only Tala can call me Johnnie."

"War buddies and all," Tala said, grinning toward the bodyguard.

"You're ex-military?" Oliver asked, looking at John. Tala couldn't tell what his tone was, but the smile was polite.

"Yes, Sir. 105th airborne out of Kandahar, retired," John said proudly. "Been with the private sector a little more than four years now. I don't want there to be any confusion, Mister Queen. My ability to keep you from harm will outweigh your comfort."

While John was focusing on the road, Tala slipped her duffle around her neck and quietly opened the door, dropping and rolling as Oliver did the same on the other side. They both darted to opposite sides of the road, Oliver donning a hat while Tala adjusted her bag to rest tightly against her back. She moved toward the Glades, slipping a beanie off the head of a blonde woman on the phone.

Tala stepped into the steel factory just before Oliver did, carrying two bags he didn't leave the house with.

"So what's the plan, brother?" Tala asked, pulling on a set of fingerless gloves. "That abduction wasn't good, especially since they weren't looking for money, but information."

"The abduction was unexpected. It's forced me to move up my plans," Oliver said, looking at the flyers on the ground. "We need to put a base of operations in the basement, because eventually this building will be a cover."

"Night club? Easy enough for people to believe," Tala suggested, grabbing a broom. "But it does need cleaned and reorganized. And we need equipment."

Oliver grinned and gestured to the bags he brought with him. The two of them made short work of the stuff they had, with Oliver doing deconstruction and Tala rolling her eyes and trying to make things easier. She climbed up to the rafters, looking at the wiring they had available. Tala grinned when she found copper wiring still in place from five years ago. She quickly collected it and used it to set up the computers Oliver had brought, connecting them to the internet and the Merlyn Global Group satellites.

A few generators were found and set up, giving them power while keeping them off the main electrical grid. Oliver set up a section for them to train in, archery and stamina. Tala watched as Oliver loosed a few tennis balls, shooting them all and attaching them to the wall with arrows. She smiled proudly at him, impressed with his abilities.

"You learned much in your five years. I am impressed," Tala said, holding up an arrow with a green tip and green fletching. In her other hand, she gently twirled one of her own arrows, which were silver tipped with blue fletching. "Spar with me. I want to know the level of your fighting ability."

Tala dropped the arrows, letting them clatter to the floor as she dove at Oliver. Oliver sidestepped her, letting her fall to the floor, hitting her with his bow as she fell. Tala rolled into a crouch and swiped Oliver's legs out from under him. He rolled over and grabbed her, dragging her closer, aiming a punch for her temple.

Tala looked over Oliver's shoulder as he watched a news report about Laurel being the lawyer taking on Hunt.

"His crimes go deeper than fraud and theft. But he's been able to bully, bribe, or kill anyone who's gotten in his way," Oliver said, talking over the news reported as he turned to face Tala. "He hasn't met us yet."

Oliver walked over to his trunk and held up a green hood. Tala stood and rolled her shoulders before holding her hand out to her duffle bag. She concentrated and her outfit changed. She stood there, wearing dark blue armor, a hood on, and a cloth over the lower half of her face. The inner lining of her hood was silver, reflecting the green light of the room.

"What the hell?" Oliver asked, staring at her in disbelief. "What was that?"

"The League of Assassins can teach many things," Tala said cryptically, her voice distorted, sounding like it was overlapping itself. "I have many connections, not all of them positive."

Oliver blinked at her in confusion before pulling his suit on. Tala idly considered designing something that would offer more protection than leather and cloth. She grinned as he finished suiting up, leading her out to the parking lot of the old factory. There was a bike sitting there, waiting for them.

"You can ride behind me until you get your own," Oliver said, deepening his voice. Tala smiled and hopped on the bike, noticing it was a Ducati Monster Diesel Edition, she liked it.

Tala knelt down and aimed an arrow, shattering the light behind Adam Hunt. She watched, a feral smile on her face as his security scrambled to get him into his car. The assassin carefully took aim, and dropped one of the guards with an arrow through the heart. The remaining bodyguard fired a few rounds in the opposite direction.

"Hey. You missed," Oliver and Tala called. They dropped from their spot in the ceiling and shook their heads at each other. They each fired, Oliver hitting the guard in the stomach, Tala catching him in the throat. He fell to the ground, dead.

Tala shattered the window of Hunt's car with her bow, scoffing when he ducked down and covered his head. Oliver used his distraction to grab him and pull him out of the car, throwing him to the ground. When Adam looked up, he saw two angry people standing on top of his car aiming arrows at him.

"What, What?" Hunt shouted, holding his hands up in surrender. "Just, just tell me what you want!"

Oliver jumped down and grabbed him, slamming him against the side of the car while Tala watched in amusement.

"You're gonna transfer forty million dollars into Starling City bank account one one four one by ten pm tomorrow night," Oliver demanded, holding Hunt by the collar of his suit jacket.

"Or what?" Hunt demanded.

"Or we're going to take it," Tala growled. "And you won't like how."

Tala walked down the back of the car and left, walking alongside Oliver, trying not to grin.

"If I see you again, you're dead!" Hunt threatened. Tala and Oliver turned in sync and fired two arrows, sending them through the rear window, before they grappled themselves to a neighboring building.

Tala mounted Oliver's bike behind him and relaxed as he drove them back to the steel factory.

"I'll catch you tomorrow, Brother," Tala said, pushing her armor and adjusting her leather jacket. "I've got work in a few hours and I doubt Alab will give me any more personal time, especially since you're not actually dead."

"Work? You work with your dad?" Oliver asked, setting his bow on his trunk.

"Yeah, he's training me to not kill the annoying board members," Tala laughed, wiping the blue grease paint off her face with a rag. "Tommy isn't inheriting the company, I am."

"I didn't actually know that," Oliver said, surprise. Tala winked as she left, taking the stairs two at a time. The assassin hailed a taxi, having it take her back to her house, where she showered and changed for work. As she left she saw a sleek town car sitting in the drive, waiting for her.

"Miss Merlyn, My name is Cody James, I'll be your driver if and when you need me," He introduced himself, holding his hand out for her to shake. Tala put on a gracious smile and shook his hand, noting that his grip matched hers in terms of firmness.

"Nice to meet you Cody. If you could, I'm running late for work, you know where the Merlyn Global Group building is, I assume?" Tala asked, slipping into the back seat.

"Yes ma'am. And there is coffee and breakfast in the seat next to you," Cody said as he closed the door behind her. Tala turned, pleased that her father had hired her a competent driver. She sipped at the coffee as she read through the budget for the upcoming meeting.

Tala ran her fingers through her hair as she entered her father's office, dropping the budget on his desk in agitation. Cody stood by the door, holding another stack of files and folders.

"This is completely wrong!" Tala said, shaking her head. "First of all, much as I adore the Queen family, we should not be financing their new division. If we stop doing that and simply invest in it, we can save the thirty people you want to lay off. Second of all, these numbers don't add up at all, even after taxes, personal salaries and investments, we're still missing a hundred thousand dollars from the budget, and I can't find it."

"You won't, because the person who has it is dead," Malcolm said standing from his desk. He waved Cody out before turning to his daughter. "His name was Kovar. He worked with the Bratva in Russia. I owed him a favor and it cost a hundred thousand dollars."

Tala kept a blank face, but ground her teeth together at her father's mention of Kovar, knowing it was the same Kovar Oliver had fought and killed, twice. She herself had met Kovar once, when she was in Russia joining the Bratva and working with Talia.

"Alright, just, next time cover your tracks better," Tala said, rolling her eyes. "And take what I said to the board. The Queen's don't need us paying for their things."

Tala left Malcolm's office and followed Cody to her own, sinking down into her chair with a sigh. As she turned on her computer, it alerted her to a dozen emails that she needed to address, starting with planning a banquet to officially name her as the heiress to the company.

"Cody, I'm going to need some more coffee. Would you mind making a run?" Tala asked, smiling at him.

"Sure thing, boss," Cody said, leaving the office. Tala propped her feet up under her desk and got to work.

Tala slipped through the doors at the place her brother had rented and walked to the bar.

"Something strong and cold," Tala ordered, placing her credit card on the bar. The bartender took it, setting up a tab and poured her a double of whiskey, which Tala quickly threw back. When she turned, Tommy was standing next to her, offering her another drink.

"The first time we celebrated you coming home, you were drinking vodka. I thought this would be appropriate," Tommy said. Tala accepted the glass. "No dress? And what's with the blue in your hair?"

"I don't do dresses. And I thought it was interesting. I needed something new," Tala said, throwing back the vodka. They both turned when Oliver started coming down the stairs. Tommy ran over, pushing through people while Tala watched in amusement.

"Man of the hour!" Tommy shouted after the DJ cut the music. Tala walked over to catch their conversation. "And, ladies, please give this man a proper homecoming!"

Oliver stepped up on a table, winking at Tala who rolled her eyes. Tommy passed them both a shot of tequila.

"Thank you very much, everybody!" Oliver threw back the shot with Tala and Tommy, before smiling at the crowd. "I missed tequila!"

Tala snorted as Oliver dropped back down to the dance floor. They gave their empty glasses to a passing waitress and settled around a table. Tommy pointed out John, who was watching Oliver with a blank stare. Tala smiled at him, breaking his emotionless facade.

"Hey, does he wipe for you, too?" Tommy asked sarcastically, making Tala and Oliver laugh. "Now, by my rough estimate, you have not had sex in one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine days. As your wingman, I highly recommend Carmen Golden."

Tommy gestured to three girls dancing in front of the DJ, though neither Tala nor Oliver had any clue as to which one Carmen was.

"Which one is she?" The two vigilantes asked Tommy.

"The one who looks like the chick from _Twilight_ ," Tommy said. Tala gave her older brother a confused look.

"What's _Twilight_?" Oliver asked. Tala shrugged when he looked at her.

"You're so better off not knowing," Tommy said, frowning slightly. Tala wondered if it was a chick flick that came out while she was at Nanda Parbat.

"Back in a minute," Oliver said when he spotted Thea. Tala leaned against her brother and accepted a drink from a passing waitress.

"I'm sorry, Tommy," Tala said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Tommy asked, looking down at his sister. "You haven't done anything."

"I got on that boat. I joined the army, I managed to take your spot as main heir to the company," Tala said, swallowing half of her drink. She winced at the flavor, it tasted like Kool-Aid. "I was dead for five years."

"It wasn't your fault. And besides, I was never going to inherit the company. I'm not good at much besides partying and getting girls," Tommy said, rolling his eyes. Tala smiled at him, glad he hadn't changed in the past five years. They moved to the bar as Laurel and Oliver walked away.

"So when did you and Laurel become a thing?" Tala asked, causing Tommy to choke on his drink. "Please, it was obvious. And I'm not stupid. If you really like her, you should go for it."

Tala pulled her phone out of her pocket as it went off, alerting her to the fact that it was ten and there still wasn't any money in the account. She sighed and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Tommy asked, concerned.

"A coworker was supposed to finish this report by ten, for the meeting on Monday, but they haven't done it. I'm going to run back to the kitchens and do their work for them," Tala said, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "And then I'm going to draft their termination letter."

Tala gave Tommy a hug before darting back to the kitchens where she ran into Oliver who looked as annoyed as she felt by the situation. They were about to round a corner to the exit when they ran into Johnnie.

"Something I can help you with, sir?" John asked, causing them both to freeze.

"We just wanted a second to ourselves," Oliver said, wrapping his arm around Tala's waist. She bit her tongue, but leaned into the embrace.

"I would believe you, Mister Queen," John said, giving Tala a knowing look. "If you weren't so full of crap. Party's this way."

Oliver stepped forward and acted like he was trying the door. It didn't budge. Tala took a subtle half step out of the way, content to just watch.

"It's locked," Oliver said, letting John step in front of him to try the door. Oliver swiftly wrapped his arm under John's arm and around his neck, knocking the man unconscious. Tala waited until John was slumped on the ground before she pulled for her armor to appear on her. Oliver ducked into a stairwell and pulled his gear on. Tala used that time to set up their escape, firing a grappling arrow from the roof, securing it to Hunt's building and a smokestack on the convention center.

Oliver led the way into the back of the building, where they took the elevator up. Tala smiled at him before it opened, pressing a button that cut the power to Hunt's office.

"What was that?" Oliver asked.

"I got bored at work, so I set something up to cut the power on Hunt's floor," Tala said. "Something to announce our presence."

The elevator opened and Oliver fired off a shot, killing the first security guard. Tala responded by throwing a knife that slit the throat of the hired muscle closest to her. When the man behind her grabbed her elbow, she used his grip to pull him around to face her. Tala knocked him out, hitting him in the temple with her bow. When she turned, Oliver was flipping a man to the ground, his legs wrapped around his throat. There was one guard left and Tala stalked toward him while he reloaded his weapon, spinning and kicking him through the glass doors into Hunt's office. He spooked the security so much that they killed him, allowing Oliver to get a free shot off, taking out another guard. Oliver stepped into the office and fired the tech arrow Tala had designed, hitting the wall behind Adam Hunt.

"You missed," Hunt hissed, annoyed and angry as Oliver aimed another arrow at him.

"Really?" Oliver asked.

"Alaiqtisas, down!" Tala shouted as a man appeared in her field of vision, striking Oliver across the face. Tala fired at him, catching him in the thigh as he started trading blows with Oliver.

"He's here!" Hunt shouted into his phone as he ran out of the office. Tala fired another arrow, catching the last man in the heart as he fired his gun at Oliver. Tala ran over to Oliver, pushing her hood down as she knelt next to him.

"We have to go, SCPD is on their way up," Tala said, helping him sit up. Oliver groaned in pain as he did, pulling his hood up. Tala did the same and grabbed her bow as SCPD, led by Quentin flooded the floor.

"Lay down your weapons, or we will open fire!" One of the officers shouted. Oliver grabbed his bow, turning to head toward the windows. "I repeat, lay down your weapons!"

They both fired at the first two SWAT members, knocking their guns out of their hands as they dove for the window. Tala jumped out, enjoying the free fall before hooking her bow around the grappling she had set up. She pushed her armor away, leaving her in the same outfit as before.

"That's a neat trick," Oliver said, shedding his green suit. Tala started wiping away the grease paint on their faces before using her same trick to replace the makeup she'd ditched.

"It comes in handy, even if the man who taught me wasn't a good man," Tala said, checking her reflection in a passing window as they quickly walked back to the party. They arrived just as SWAT told the DJ to stop the music.

"Starling City Police, the party's over, kids," Quentin shouted as soon as he had everyone's attention. "Oh, Mister Merlyn. Imagine my shock at finding you here. Did you roofie anyone special tonight, huh?"

Tala darted over to Quentin, stepping between him and her brother. She crossed her arms and glared up at the detective.

"Quentin, this is a welcome back party for me and Ollie, why are you here?" Tala feigned innocence, stalling until Oliver could join her.

"There was an incident at Adam Hunt's building tonight. You two know anything about that?" Quentin asked, glaring at Oliver as he stepped behind Tala.

"Who's Adam Hunt?" Oliver asked.

"An old business partner of Dad's, is he alright?" Tala asked, knowing full well the man hadn't been harmed.

"He's fine. He just got attacked by your two hoods. The two that saved you two the other day," Quentin said, still giving Oliver a dirty look.

"The hoods? You didn't find them? I'm gonna offer a reward," Oliver said, turning away from the detectives. "Hey everybody! Two million dollars to anybody that can find a nut bar in a green hood!"

Tala bit her lip to smother her giggles at the thought of Oliver giving a reward to whoever finds him.

"Did you even try to save her?" Quentin demanded, getting in Oliver's face. "Did you even try to save my daughter?"

Tala pushed Quentin backwards toward Detective Pike who led him out of the building. Tala turned to Oliver and Tommy, shaking her head. Oliver rolled his eyes before jumping up on another table.

"It's way too quiet in here, this is a party!" Oliver jumped down as everyone cheered and the DJ started playing again. Tala grabbed a drink and downed it, not caring what it was.

"Some coincidence, I mean, you asking to have your party here, and Hunt getting robbed right next door," Tommy said when Oliver walked back to them. "And by the same guys who rescued us at the warehouse."

"If I were you, Tommy," Oliver said seriously. "I'd just be happy you're alive."

"What happened to you two out there?" Tommy asked, looking at the matching looks from Tala and Oliver.

"A lot," They both said before turning and walking away.

"Let's go, I can't take this many people anymore," Tala said, looping her arm through Oliver's.

Oliver took them back to the steel factory where they watched the forty million from Hunt be deposited into the different accounts it was originally stolen from. Tala smiled proudly as Oliver crossed the name off his list.

"It feels good to make a difference. We do this for Robert, and for Sara," Tala said, placing her hand on Oliver's shoulder.

"Laurel said that the island changed me, but she doesn't know how much," Oliver said, looking down at the list. "There are a lot of names on the list. Every last one of them will wish I had died on that island."


	2. 102 Honor Thy Father

"And this is Kevin, the CFO. Kevin, this is my daughter, Tala," Malcolm said, as Tala held her hand out for the man to shake. She smiled at him politely but grimaced when she noticed that her hand cracked a few of his bones. His handshake was weak. She decided right there that she didn't like the CFO and would try to replace him as soon as she took over the company.

"It's great to meet you Kevin, I've heard such wonderful things," Tala said politely, ignoring how Kevin stared at the tattoos on her bare arm. "Father, if it's alright, I have a prior engagement this evening, and I will not be home until late."

Malcolm nodded distractedly, already heavily involved in the conversation with the two other men that had ignored her presence. Tala rolled her eyes and left, nodding to Cody in thanks as he opened the doors to the office she was in, letting her lead the way to the garage.

"Where to Miss Merlyn?" He asked, sliding into the driver's seat. "Back home, or out to dinner?"

"The old Queen Consolidated steel factory actually. In the Glades. And then you will be free to go for the night," Tala said absently, pulling some of the magic she had access to into her palm, watching the Black and White magics chase each other around in her hand. She pushed them away when Cody opened her door, allowing her to step out into the evening. "Thank you Cody. Enjoy your night. I'll call you if I have need of you again."

Tala dropped into the basement with a muffled thump, rolling to avoid breaking the heels she wore to work. Oliver was already there, pulling on his green suit. Tala raised an eyebrow at him, closing her eyes briefly to pull her armor on.

"Where are we going tonight? Rooftop, Alley, or Docks?" Tala asked, adjusting her gloves and reaching for the grease paint Oliver had sitting on the table. There was a can of green for him, and one in blue for her. It matched the blue streak in her hair, both of which were offset by the darker blue of her League Armor.

"Rooftop. Ready?" Oliver asked, his voice deeper than normal. Tala gave him a feral grin. They rode away from the Glades, aiming for a business building that was higher than their target. They both jumped, landing in front of a group of thugs.

"Who's that? Where'd they come from?" One of the guys demanded of the others, Tala snorted and side stepped the first punch. She grabbed the man's arm and pulled him, jerking him into her fist. He staggered backwards where Tala hit him again, this time with the hand that was holding her bow. Behind her, Oliver was taking on two men. Tala jumped away from the now unconscious man and jumped over to get closer to their target for the night. When one of the bodyguards pulled a gun, Tala drew her bow and shot the sidearm out of his hands. Tala and Oliver stalked toward the only man remaining.

"Woah, woah, woah! Please, wait, wait!" He begged, throwing his hands up in near surrender. Tala kicked him backwards, dropping him three feet onto another part of the roof. She jumped down after him, kicking the grating out of the exhaust fan next to his head, ignoring the sparks that flew up. Oliver grabbed Redman by his hair, holding him a few inches above the fan. "No, no, please! No, please, please!"

"Marcus Redman, you failed this city!" Tala and Oliver growled. Tala looked at the man dispassionately, annoyed by his begging.

"Cell phone, inside pocket. Call your partner," Oliver demanded. "Tell him to give those pensioners back their money."

"Do it, now!" Tala barked, looking around to make sure his bodyguards weren't coming to his rescue any time soon. Oliver stood up, and offered Tala his elbow. The assassin giggled slightly and took it, letting him lead her to the edge of the roof where they dove, freefalling briefly before Oliver shot a grappling arrow into the building and caught them both. Tala laughed openly as they landed next to their bikes, kicking them into gear before heading back to the foundry in silence.

"That was fun," Tala said, pushing her armor back into the duffle bag hanging from a blue and silver arrow embedded in the wall. "What's on the agenda for tomorrow?"

"I'm going to QC tomorrow, seeing what all's changed. After court anyway," Oliver said, causing Tala to groan, knowing she had to be there too. "Have you not legally come back to life? I thought you would've done that ages ago."

"I was supposed to, but after coming home I just curled up in your room and stayed," Tala said, pulling a chocolate bar out of her workbag. "Only Thea knew where I was, and she never gave me up. She's in for a great birthday present. Do you think she would like a throwing knife set?"

Oliver scoffed, rolling his eyes. The two vigilantes removed their grease paint and left, Oliver hopping on his bike, the same brand as the ones they used for being menaces to society. Tala hopped the fence and started walking, pulling her hood up to cover her face as she stepped into a shady bar. She ignored the bouncer and walked over to a booth where a man was sitting, two glasses of vodka sitting in front of him.

"Hart," She greeted, sliding into the seat and taking hold of the glass closest to her. The man looked up, adjusting his glasses as he did.

"Tala. It's been a while," Hart said. Tala snorted into her drink.

"I've been dead, according to the media, but you knew that, didn't you?" Tala asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend. "Why did you come all the way out to Starling?"

"The Particle Accelerator," Hart said, throwing back his drink and waving at the bartender to bring more. "Harrison has hired additional help and I want to scream. He showed up to his first day in a Star Wars T-shirt."

"And that just broke your little Trekkie heart, didn't it, Hartley?" Tala laughed, accepting the new glass of vodka. "I don't see what the problem is, you know most days I show up to work in jeans and a random shirt. Before you came out, all you wore were graphic tees and black pants with your fetish boots."

"They're not Fetish Boots, they're steampunk Tala, how many times are we gonna have this argument?" Hartley whined, causing Tala to laugh and smile at him fondly.

"Until you give up. So tell me about your crush, because that is the only reason you would fly all the way out here," Tala said, finishing her second drink. Hartley blushed violently before glaring at Tala.

"He's a mechanical engineer, with hair down to his shoulders, it looks soft, I just want to run my fingers through it - if he ever takes it out of that stupid bun!" Hartley started ranting, prompting Tala to lean back in her seat and kick her feet up on Hart's chair. She flagged down the bartender who brought them the bottle of vodka they'd started on.

"Five years on an island and you still know who they are," Thea said as Tala walked into the room.

"I've been catching up! It's nice to see how much our culture has improved while I was away," Oliver said.

"Hasn't improved that much. The bar down on fifty third still has the same leaky faucet in the bathroom that it did last time I was there," Tala said, grinning at Thea and Oliver.

"No, the city used to be different," Moira said, speaking as though Tala hadn't. "People used to feel safe."

"Oh, what's the matter, Mom? Afraid we're gonna be next?" Thea asked jokingly. Tala and Oliver exchanged amused looks.

"Do either of you have any questions about today?" Walter asked as Moira stood up from her chair. "A simple proof-of-life declaration. Just read out a brief prepared statement to the judge, and then your death-in-absentia judgment will be voided."

"Wait, you get a prepared statement? Dad told me to just wing it," Tala grumbled. "Guess I'm not as important as the CEO meet up or whatever he's at this week down in Coast City."

"It's fine Walter, I've been in a courtroom before," Oliver said, smiling as he wrapped Tala up in a side hug, keeping his arm around her waist.

"Four times by my estimate," Tommy's voice came from behind them. "You know, there was the DUI, the assault on that paparazzi douchebag, stealing that taxi, which was just awesome, by the way, and who could forget peeing on the cop?"

"I think everyone would like to forget that particular incident," Tala said, remembering hearing about that, and seeing the incident report.

"We'd hang, but we're headed to court," Oliver said, clapping Tommy on the shoulder.

"I know, that's why I'm here," Tommy said. "My best friend and sister are getting legally resurrected. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Tala sent Thea a long-suffering look, hearing Oliver sigh next to her. Tala patted Oliver's shoulder in commiseration.

"What about you?" Oliver asked Thea, noticing her complete lack of court clothes.

"Oh, I think the first four times of you in court was enough for me," Thea said, nodding. She left the room, catching Tala's hand briefly as she passed. Johnnie walked in, looking at Moira.

"Mrs. Queen? The car's ready," He said, nodding at the two women in the room. Tommy tried to offer Moira his arm, but lowered it as she pushed past. The five of them piled into the car; grateful it sat them with plenty of room. Tala groaned as they pulled up to the courthouse, revealing every vulture with a camera within a thirty-mile radius. Johnnie tried to keep them back but the sight of Oliver helping Tala out of the car started a frenzy, until Tala held up her hand for silence, using a touch of her magic to force their attention on her.

"I will give a brief statement now, and then another one at the press release for the Merlyn Global Group in a week, if everyone would calm down," Tala scolded, glaring at the reporters. Tommy and Moria looked impressed as they all turned toward her and settled down. "Thank you. Today, Oliver Queen and I get to celebrate the fact that we are still alive after five years of our own personal hells. However, this isn't a happy occasion for us, as we both lost people when the Queen's Gambit went down in a storm. With Robert Queen, and Sara Lance lost to the ocean, we mourn for them, rather than celebrate our lives. Thank you."

Tala released her hold on them and walked to catch up to her brother and the Queen family.

"That was impressive, Tala. How'd you capture their attention so easily, I've never seen paps like that," Tommy commented as they walked into the courthouse.

"I'm magic, haven't you learned this yet, brother mine?" Tala laughed, noticing Oliver snort.

"Yeah, what are you going to tell me next, that you're a trained assassin?" Tommy joked, nudging Tala with his shoulder.

"Well, no. I wouldn't tell you if I was, that would go against the code," Tala said, a wide smile on her face. "If I told you the truth, I'd have to kill you."

"There was a storm," Oliver said, standing next to Tala. They let their shoulders touch, leaning on each other gently. Both had dealt with the courts before, Tala in middle school, Oliver quite often; but coming to life again was different, heavier than misdemeanors. "The boat went down, we were the only survivors."

Tala could still feel the freezing rain, the pain from the burns smacking against the salt water after she was thrown from the deck. Oliver could feel the slight give of the life raft under his chest as he leaned out toward the ocean, screaming for Sara as his father held him back. The smell of salt water filled the courtroom for the two vigilantes.

"My father didn't make it," Oliver said, remembering watching Robert shoot himself to try and give Oliver a better chance of survival. "I almost died, I... I thought that I had, 'cause I spent so many days on that life raft before I saw the island."

"I was thrown when the boat went down, when the engine exploded from the stress of the storm," Tala said. "I was pulled in a different direction than Oliver. I didn't know he had survived until he came home. I didn't know that I was going to, until I washed up on the shore of an island."

"When I reached it, I knew, I knew that I was gonna have to live for both of us. For all of us," Oliver said, turning slightly to look down at Tala. She looked up and met his eyes. "And in those five years, it was that, one thought that kept me going."

"I was in the Army, so I knew how to survive as a POW, despite that not being what I was," Tala took up, spinning her story. She knew she was going to have to write it down so she didn't forget. She was also going to have to write down who knew the truth. "I just kept trying to escape. Trying to get to a city so I could get home. Ending up at the border was luck, and possibly my salvation."

"Your Honor, we move to vitiate the death-in-absentia filed after Oliver and Tala's disappearance at sea, aboard the Queen's Gambit, five years ago," their lawyer said, standing up from her seat next to Oliver. "Unfortunately, we will not be requesting that the declaration of death filed for the petitioner's father, Robert Queen, be rescinded. The Queen family is only entitled to one miracle, I'm afraid."

Tala felt that the rest of their time in front of the judge passed in a blur of signing documents, and avoiding the sad looks of the Queen family. Tommy and Moira had twin looks of despair at their tales of their islands. The Merlyn Heiress sighed when the judge dismissed them all.

"Now, onto the offices," Moira said over her shoulder to Oliver. Tala frowned at him, wondering what she was talking about. The assassin had thought they were going back to the steel factory to work on intel and find their next target. "Everyone is waiting to meet you there."

"Uh, mom. That was... a bit heavier than I was expecting it to be," Oliver said, halting their progress down the stairs. Tala idly swept her eyes around the room, looking for weak points, potential threats and potential targets. "Can we do that tomorrow? Please?"

"Of course," Moira allowed, after checking with Walter. Tala made sure she didn't sigh in relief, but she did feel her stance relaxing slightly.

"Thank you," Oliver said. Moira and Walter turned and left, continuing down the stairs and on their way.

"Last week, you couldn't wait to get to the company," Tommy said. Tala walked behind them, staying just out of their conversations.

"Tommy, I'd just spent five years away from civilization. I wasn't exactly thinking straight," Oliver said. "And Tala won't shut up about the stress she's under at your company."

"Yeah, it isn't something I want to deal with either, sadly Dad thinks that I'm perfectly fine," Tala said. She rolled her eyes, thinking about the stack of paperwork she knew was piling up on her desk at the office. She bumped into Oliver and Tommy as they stopped in front of Laurel.

"Hi," Oliver greeted, sounding spooked. Tala stepped out from behind him and waved, smiling at her friend.

"What are you doing here?" Laurel demanded of Oliver. Tala tensed. She knew she wouldn't be forced to fight Laurel, but she couldn't help her automatic reactions to her tone.

"Oh, uh, they were bringing us back from the dead. Legally speaking," Oliver explained, losing the fight part of his fight or flight response. Laurel stared at him blankly, her mind not forming a response. "What are you doing here?"

"My job," Laurel said, her mind still trying to catch up. She had gotten past the instant sadness that had originally swallowed her when someone brought up what had happened five years ago. She still wanted to scream, violently and forever, but instead she pushed herself into work.

"More like the DA's," Laurel's friend chirped. Laurel sighed, and Oliver took that brief respite to introduce himself to the quiet blonde girl standing behind Laurel.

"Hi, Oliver Queen," he said, smiling charmingly.

"Uh, Emily Nocenti," she replied, shaking his hand.

"Oliver just got back from five years on an uncharted island," Laurel informed Emily. "Before that, he was cheating on me with my sister. He was with her when she died, and last week he told me to stay away from him. It was really good advice. Excuse me."

Laurel couldn't scream, not as loudly and violently as she wanted, so she would settle for shouldering past Oliver and Tommy, flashing a pained smile at Tala before storming up the stairs.

"It was nice to meet you," Emily said as Laurel's friend ushered her away. Oliver stepped out of their way.

"Come on, buddy. Shake it off. Let's go," Tommy said, clapping Oliver on the shoulder. Tala silently stepped up to his other side and placed her hand on his elbow, leading him out of the cold marble courthouse, and into the sun.

Reporters were standing, surrounding a man in a very nice suit. Tala listened to them, and discovered he was Martin Somers. He was on the list. Tala longed to pull her bow to her and shoot him where he stood. She glanced down and saw that her magic was starting to creep up the arm that wasn't touching Oliver. She shook it away with a flick and a frown.

"I don't know what I've done to earn this witch-hunt from Miss Lance and her bosses at the CNRI. But I can tell you this," Somers hesitated for effect and made sure to make eye contact with at least two reporters and a camera. "I am an honest businessman, and I will fight this slander to my last dime and breath. That's all I have to say, thank you."

Somers walked away despite the reporters trying to get another sound-byte out of him. One of the reporters saw Oliver, Tala and Tommy.

"There's Mister Queen!" The reporters ran over and started chattering, begging for answers to their questions. Tala stepped forward and pushed her way through the crowd, shouldering one of two if they got too close. Oliver followed her path, and Tommy trailed behind, doing his best to keep the reporters away from his best friend and little sister. John met them at the bottom of the stairs and helped Tala push them back.

Oliver slipped into the car and clambered into the driver's seat as Tala sat primly in the back. John closed the door behind them to shove a cameraman back.

"Hey man, I'mma make you swallow that Nikon if you don't get back!" John shouted, shoving the man back to allow Tommy the space to get in the car unmolested. The car's tires squealed as it peeled out of the area and sped down the block. John stared after the car in exasperation, while Tommy seemed unfazed.

"This happens to you a lot, doesn't it?" Tommy asked, looking after the car. John just sighed and squared his shoulders, knowing Tala and Oliver would reappear eventually.

*x*

"How much is a life worth?" Laurel asked the jury, glancing at the image of the man she had placed on a stand. "A life of a man, a good man, a stevedore on the docks of the city in which we live. A father. A man with a daughter. The plaintiff will prove by a preponderance of evidence that Victor Nocenti learned what his boss, this man sitting right here, Martin Somers, was taking bribes from the Chinese Triad to smuggle drugs into our city. And when Victor Nocenti threatened to tell the police, Martin Somers had him killed. Mister Somers is a very well connected man and has friends in the District Attorney's office, which is why if Emily Nocenti is to get justice for her father's death, if Martin Somers is to get justice for his crimes, then someone is gonna have to do it for them."

*x*

Oliver wrapped a thick rope around his hand and started climbing up it, keeping his back to it, rather than face it, which was easier. In a corner, Tala sat, facing east and praying, whispering under her breath. When she stood, she moved to the tables filled with arrowheads and gently started sharpening them. Oliver took that as his cue to speak.

"Martin Somers. Laurel's targeted the worst of Starling City so it's no surprise that his name is in my father's book," Oliver said, dropping down to the ground. "The city's police and DA can't stop him."

"Or they won't," Tala added, ducking under his swings at the poles to attack the ones behind him. They always wanted to move in tandem, have the other at their back as often as they could when they fought. That way they never had to worry that they or the other was safe.

"Laurel thinks she's the only one willing to bring him to justice," Oliver said, twisting and striking above Tala's head, while she ducked and spun under the blow, swiping out with a leg to knock the imaginary foe to the ground.

"She's wrong," Tala said, straightening her shoulders as she locked eyes with Oliver. They went through training, research, and a nap each before they decided it was a good time to move. Tala pulled for her armor and started applying the greasepaint around her eyes. The assassin wondered how her family in Nanda Parbat was doing. She wondered if Ta-er al Sahfer still had to set alarms to pray, or if Warith al Ghul had asked for her hand yet. As happy as she was to have returned, as much as her mission meant to her, The'eb Sagheer missed the place she had called home for five years, the longest she had ever stayed in one place.

*x*

"You, listen up," Martin Somers barked out at a man in a suit. "The longer this goes on, the more likely the media is gonna crucify me. You shut this trial down, do you understand me?"

The lights went out, and an arrow was heard connecting with something heavy, metal or wood. Three arrows were fired, dropping three men, as Somers looked around in fear, wondering where his attacker was coming from. Something hit him hard, and Somers knew nothing more.

"Well, that was fun," Tala grinned as she stood up, getting off of Martin Somers' unconscious form. She stepped away as Oliver bent down to pick up the man they wanted answers from.

Martin came to hanging upside-down, his tie hanging in his face. Tala and Oliver stood in front of him, watching his face get more and more red.

"Martin Somers," Oliver growled.

"Who the hell are you?" Martin demanded, squinting at the two vigilantes.

"You've failed this city!" Tala hissed, snarling like an angry dog. She and Oliver pulled arrows out and aimed at Somers, ignoring his begging and pleading. They fired on either side of him, scaring him into listening to them. "You're gonna testify at that trial."

"You're gonna confess to having Victor Nocenti killed!" Oliver finished, glaring at the man. "There won't be a second warning."

Oliver notched another arrow and fired, scraping his cheek, just enough to draw blood, enough to mark him. When Martin opened his eyes, the two vigilantes were gone.

*x*

"I hired you to protect my son. Now, I'm not a professional bodyguard, but it seems to me that the first requirement would be managing to stay next to the man you're hired to protect," Moira Queen lectured John in the living room of the Queen Mansion.

"With all due respect, ma'am, I've never had a client that didn't want my protection," John said, feeling slightly dressed down, but mostly annoyed at Oliver for continuing to evade him. John had hoped, upon seeing how close Tala was to him, that she would be able to talk sense into Oliver and John would be able to do his job properly. Unfortunately, it seemed that Tala was worse than his client.

"I hired you," Moira repeated, "That makes me the client. Now, where do you think my son is going on these chaperone-less excursions?"

"Ma'am, I truly do not know," John replied. He had noticed than any time Oliver vanished, Tala went too, but she didn't seem the playboy type like Oliver was reputed to be.

"And he truly doesn't," Oliver said as he walked into the room. Tala trailed behind him, tugging a leather jacket on over her dress from court.

"Then perhaps you'd like to share with me, you know, where it is you run off to," Moira didn't so much ask as leave it an open question.

"I've been alone for five years," Oliver said.

"I know that, Oliver," Moira said.

"Mom, alone," Oliver said, making deliberate eye contact. Both Moira and John had a moment of sudden realization.

"I see, I had thought you and Tala, of course, but I see," Moira said. Behind Oliver, Tala hid a smile behind her hand. They had discussed it, and letting everyone think there was an _entanglement_ between the Merlyn and Queen heirs would keep gossip down when it was discovered how much time they truly spent together.

"I promise to introduce her, if it ever gets to the, uh, exchanging first names, stage," Oliver said shamelessly.

"No, I'd rather you promise to take Mister Diggle with you on your next rendezvous. You seem to have no problem taking Miss Merlyn along," Moira said.

"I don't actually go, Mrs. Queen. Ollie typically drops me at a coffee shop somewhere along the way. I have no desire to see what goes on between Ollie and these girls," Tala defended, blinking rapidly at the insinuation.

"It's not safe, you've already been abducted once," Moira stated, "There is a maniac out there hunting the wealthy."

"Those maniacs saved our lives," Tala and Oliver said in tandem, Tala taking a half step forward, bringing her into the room.

"This isn't a game," Moira continued as if they hadn't spoken, "I lost you once. And I am not going through that again."

"Okay."

"And Tala, I highly doubt your father is okay with the way you've been bandying about without any supervision. You and Tommy were abducted as well. Those maniacs may have saved you once, but there is no reason to believe they will do so a second time," Moira lectured.

"Okay," Oliver repeated. "Digg's our guy."

"Thank you," Moira said before stalking out of the room. Tala walked forward and looked up at Oliver.

"She does remember that I was in the Army, right? That I can take care of myself?" Tala asked, shaking her head. Oliver smiled before looking up at Diggle.

"Sorry to give you so much grief," Oliver said genially.

"I served three tours in Afghanistan, Mister Queen. One with Tala. You don't even come close to my definition of grief," John said. He crossed the room and joined the two vigilantes where they stood. "But I tell you what. You ditch me one more time, no one will have to fire me. Night, T."

Thea walked in the room just after John left, wearing a cute dress. Tala smiled, thinking that she looked cute. Oliver frowned in disapproval.

"Where're you going?" he asked, thinking the dress was more appropriate for a club.

"Uh, somewhere loud and smoky," Thea said, "And don't bother trying to pickpocket my stash this time, 'cause I'm gonna go get drunk instead."

"Thea... Do you think this is what dad would've wanted for you?" Oliver asked. Tala kept her expression neutral, but she didn't like the direction of this conversation. Thea had fallen into this to deal with her grief of losing two friends, a brother and a father. At any rate, Oliver and Tommy had been doing the same thing the minute they were old enough to enjoy being drunk.

"Dead people don't want anything," Thea said coldly. "It's one of the benefits of being dead."

"I was dead," Oliver reminded her, as if anyone needed reminding. "And I wanted a lot."

Tala did too. Mostly french fries, and to see Thea. To see Laurel or Oliver again. More than once she wanted Tommy to show up and make fun of her for working out so much, or for dad to appear and scold her for sloppy technique.

"Except for your family," Thea accused. Tala wondered if she already had something in her system. "You been home a week and all you do is avoid mom, ignore Walter, and judge me. If we're not Tala, we're not important. Don't wait up."

Oliver sighed, but Tala chased after Thea, catching her just before she left the house.

"Hey, Thea, 'ukhti alsaghira, just a second, please?" Tala asked, not grabbing the younger girl in case she took it as provocation. Thea paused while grabbing a jacket. "If you need anything, at the end of the night, you'll call right?"

"Why do you care?" Thea demanded.

"Because even though I go off and vanish, even though I'm not always around, you're my family, Thea. I don't care if you want to drink. I drink. I would prefer you didn't do drugs, but it's your choice, not mine," Tala said, sighing heavily. "Just, if you need anything, no matter what time of night, no matter where you are, call me and I'll take care of you, no questions asked."

"Thanks, Tala. Thank you," Thea said quietly before vanishing out the door. As it closed behind her, Thea paused and smiled a little bit more before she climbed in her friend's car. Oliver was a flake, but at least Thea had Tala.

*x*

"Well, I owe you an apology, Mister Somers," Quentin Lance said to Martin Somers. "We came all the way down to your docks, and it turns out, you don't need the police after all."

"Which is exactly what I've been saying," Somers said calmly. The perfect example of an upstanding citizen, except for the cut on his cheek.

"Yeah, so I guess that 911 call we got last night from your stevedore, saying that you were getting attacked by a guy in a blue hood with a bow and arrow... I, I guess that well, hmm," Quentin saw a cut on Somers' desk that looked like it might have just fit an arrowhead. "What was that, a practical joke?"

"These guys like to fool around," Martin said casually. Quentin scoffed.

"Well, you know, I'd be very much inclined to believe an honest upstanding businessman such as yourself, except well..." Quentin pulled a green arrow out of an evidence bag and slotted it neatly in the hole Quentin had noted. "One of my men found this at your docks. You see, there're these vigilantes running around. He, he thinks he's some kind of Robin Hood. They're robbing from the rich, trying to teach them a lesson, I dunno. I don't know, but the point is, the man's a killer. And nothing, and no one is gonna stop me from bringing him down. But like you said, clearly nothing happened here last night."

Martin stared at the arrow in his desk for a moment before replying, "Isn't this a conflict of interest, Detective? After all, your daughter is suing me."

"I'm pretty good at keeping my emotions in check," Quentin reassured, lying through his teeth.

"I'm not," Somers threatened, standing up from behind his desk. "You and your daughter don't wanna find out what I am capable of when I get emotional."

Somers and Quentin stared at each other for a long moment before Quentin scoffed and walked off. Somers glanced down at the arrow and scoffed.

*x*

"Good morning, Cody, what do we have on the agenda today?" Tala asked her driver as she slid in the backseat of the car. There was breakfast and coffee waiting for her in the other seat.

"You have a meeting with the regional managers, as well as a few different PR reps this morning," Cody said as he drove her toward the Merlyn Global Group building. "There's a lunch meeting for the board at Tanoti's at twelve thirty. It's optional though. After that you have just paperwork and approving purchases and investments with the CFO until three."

"So no chance of a nap, then? Oh well. I'll survive, I suppose. I need to start looking for a personal assistant. As much as you're doing, you're my driver, not my PA," Tala laughed, reaching for the coffee. "I'll look into that next week though, I just want to finish this one up."

Tala walked into the building, and went to the seventh floor to drop a file off for finance before the regional manager's meeting. Someone approached her while she was filling up a thermos with coffee from the break room across the hall from the conference room.

"Hey sweet cheeks, why don't you pour me a cup, too, hmm?" They leered, wrapping their arm around Tala's waist, their hand drifting dangerously close to her skirt hem. Tala found herself stunned silent.

"I'd suggest you take your hands off of my daughter, if you plan on keeping them attached to your body," Malcolm Merlyn's voice echoed around the room, and the man tensed before slowly removing his arm. Tala thought it was too slow, so she grabbed it and twisted, sharply pulling the man's wrist behind his back, pulling it up near his shoulder.

"Dad, I know that I don't have the ability to fire people, but surely you can do that for me?" Tala asked sweetly, turning to look at her father. "I'd hate for him to lose a few fingers because I caught him harassing another woman."

"I'll escort him out and make sure security knows he won't be returning," Cody said, gripping the man's arm tightly. "Miss Merlyn, Sir."

"At least you didn't kill him," Malcolm said lightly. "That would've been difficult to clean up."

"I was a bit surprised that he'd try. I'd never expected it here at the office," Tala said, glaring at the door. She finished topping off her coffee and started toward the conference room. "I already want today to be over."

"Late night? Or early morning, I didn't see you at the manor this morning."

"I stayed with Oliver. He makes missing Sara easier. And he understands what it was like, the boat going down. Being lost, being dead. He doesn't judge the PTSD."

*x*

"As you can see, Oliver, we've modernized quite a bit," Walter said as he led the way out of the elevator. Oliver whistled, the new decorations did look nice, and he was impressed. Two female workers stopped and stared, causing Oliver to say hi to them. Moira laughed and patted his arm, while John trailed behind.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Moira asked.

"Yes, I am," Oliver said truthfully. As much as he had to do, he did miss his family, and he was glad to spend time with them.

"I remember when your father used to bring you here when you were a boy," Walter said from his office. "You always were so excited."

"Dad let me drink soda in the office," Oliver remembered. He thought back to one time, when he was twelve, he'd gone with his father to work, just before a Rocket's game. Robert had given him a soda in the office and Oliver was so excited for the game he'd spilled it on the floor. Instead of getting mad, Robert just showed him where the cleaning supplies were and helped him clean it up.

"Ah, so that's why you enjoyed coming," Moira said.

"The Queen Consolidated's success of late is a result of it's targeted diversification," Walter explained. "We have been making impressive inroads in cutting-edge fields like bio-tech and clean energy."

"That's neat," Oliver said flippantly, before calling out to Walter's PA, "Excuse me? Can I get a, a sparkling water or something cold, please?"

"Sweetheart, Oliver," Moira cut in. "Walter and I have something to discuss with you. Come, please sit."

"Mom, it makes me nervous when you ask me to sit down," Oliver said. He hoped that they weren't about to suggest he take over the company. He had enough on his plate, and he doubted he could pay Tala enough to run it for him.

"The company's about to break ground on a new site for the Applied Sciences division," Walter said, stepping forward, away from the sitting area in the office. "And we would like to honor your father by dedicating the building in his name."

"Nice," Oliver said, approving of the decision.

"And, we'd like to make an announcement at the dedication," Moira said. Oliver felt himself tense up slightly at her continuation. "That you will be taking a leadership position in the company."

"No," Oliver said. He couldn't be the CEO or even a director of the company, it would make his disappearing acts much more difficult to explain. He was barely managing as it was, and that was with Tala's help fabricating stories.

"No, your, your company," Moira said, thinking her fumble was calling it _the company_ instead of telling Oliver it was his company.

"No, I don't wanna lead anything," Oliver said. _I just got back to civilization a week ago, and you want me to run a company I haven't seen in five years?_ "Besides, Walter is doing a very good job here."

"You said that you wanted to be a different person," Moira said, confused. "And you are Robert Queen's son."

"I don't need to be reminded of that," Oliver said. He was reminded of that every time he saw his reflection in the mirror. Or every time he trained to and past his limits to be stronger, faster, better. Each time he shot an arrow at someone who had failed this city.

"Well, obviously you do," Moira said. Oliver resisted the urge to snarl at her, and instead stared blankly at her and Walker.

"Everyone here understands that this transition is really difficult for you," Walter said, trying to keep the peace between mother and son.

"Thank you, Walter," Oliver said, kindly. "Which part, though? Everyone fantasizing that I got my MBA while I was on the island? Or the fact that my father's CFO now sleeps down the hall from me?"

Moira shook her head and started walking away, only getting three steps before she turned back to Oliver.

"You know, five years ago your irresponsibility was somewhat charming," Moira said, her tone disapproving and cold. "It is a lot less so now."

Moira left the office, walking past John, who didn't move to open the door for her. Walter hesitated for a moment before following his wife. John stared ahead, keeping emotions off of his face. It wasn't his place to comment on the family's affairs, but he had opinions.

John thought that Oliver was within his right to resist. He's been on an island, away from people, away from everything, for five years. The boy was bound to have some PTSD, and two weeks wasn't long enough to get over it. John remembered how Afghanistan had affected him, and how it had affected Lyla. Neither of them had known how to behave when they weren't in a war zone, and it had ruined their marriage. John pushed his thoughts aside and opened the door for Oliver to leave the office before following him out of the building.

The paparazzi were waiting for the Queen heir just outside the door, cameras flashing and recording devices ready to catch any sound they could. Oliver let John push them out of their path, and climbed into the waiting car. John slid next to him.

"The driver will be here in a minute," John said to the silent man. Oliver barely responded. "You know, I spent the first twenty seven years of my life in Starling City, and the next five in Afghanistan. You wanna know what I learned?"

"There's no place like home?" Oliver asked, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.

"No, just the opposite. Home is a battlefield," John said, thinking of the fights him and Lyla would get into, the ones between him and Andy, "Back home, they're all trying to get you. Get you to open up, be somebody you're not sure you are anymore. Or I could be wrong. Maybe after five years alone you're not as messed up in the head as you have every right to be."

John looked for a reaction from Oliver, but he didn't find one. Oliver knew he wasn't the same person he was before the boat went down. That person had no priorities, had no goal, no purpose, and no skills beyond drinking too much. Now, he had a purpose, a goal, and the ability to right the wrongs done to his city. And he would right those wrongs.

*x*

"Well, we anticipate that Somers' attorney will try and paint you as blinded by grief or looking to make a buck," Joanna said as she and Emily Nocenti followed behind Laurel at their office at CNRI.

"But this isn't about the money," Emily protested, "I just want justice for my father."

"Emily, there are a lot of people who don't want this trial to proceed," Laurel said. "Dangerous people."

"My mother died when I was a baby, and my father has been the only family I've ever known, and they slit his throat," Emily said angrily. "They are going to have to kill me if they want me to give this up."

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that," Laurel said.

"And it won't," Quentin Lance said from the doorway. Behind him were three officers.

"What's going on?" Laurel demanded.

"What's going on is that the three of you are gettin' 'round the clock police protection. Okay?" Quentin said. "Get used to their faces, because they're going with you everywhere you go, no arguments."

"I'm a lawyer. I live to argue," Laurel said defiantly.

"I'm your father, I live to keep you safe," Quentin replied. He'd lost one daughter, he wasn't prepared to lose another one.

"Uh, Emily, let's go grab a cup of coffee, okay?" Joanna suggested, knowing how Laurel and her father got sometimes.

"Yes, why not. Do that. Thank you," Quentin said waving for two officers to follow them. Laurel glared at Joanna, feeling betrayed.

"Protective custody?" Laurel accused, "I seem to recall you trying that once I discovered boys. It didn't work then either."

"This isn't a joke, Laurel. Martin Somers got attacked last night," Quentin told her.

"What?" Laurel asked. "By who?"

"It doesn't matter," Quentin said. "Point is, you have whipped up a storm with these guys, and until the dust settles you'll be protected, okay? End of discussion."

"That might have worked when I was eight," Laurel said as Quentin turned to leave. "But it's not gonna work anymore."

"End of discussion, Laurel!" Quentin barked, looking at his daughter's defiant face. "You're insistent on doing your job, that's great. But this is me doing mine, okay? And not just as a father, but as a cop. These people, they are more dangerous than you are willing to admit. And you've made them angry."

Quentin left, hoping the officer he'd assigned to his daughter would be able to stick with her until this trial was over. He wished that Laurel had decided to go to medical school, like Sara wanted to, instead of law school. He knew that sometimes he could come across as overbearing, but he'd already lost one daughter. Quentin didn't think he could survive losing another one.

Laurel stared after her father, ignoring the cop that had been assigned to her. She knew that her father was only trying to protect her, but that was part of her problem. She knew Somers was dangerous. But she could handle herself. She had taken self-defense and knew how to behave in a fight. Laurel sighed and nodded to the officer. She would agree to the protection, especially because it protected Joanna and Emily as well.

*x*

Chien Na Wei walked through the drafty warehouse calmly, the kind of calm that came from knowing one was the most deadly thing in a building. Martin Somers had asked for a meeting, and she had decided that he was worth her time. He did allow them ample use of his docks, after all.

"Thank you for coming," Martin greeted, looking pretentious behind his desk. Like he thought he was a Bond villain.

"Anything for a friend." Chien Na had plenty of experience keeping the scorn off of her face, and out of the tone of her voice.

"We're not friends," Martin reminded her, having less ability to keep the scorn out of his voice. "You smuggle drugs, I let you use my port."

"For which you're paid a lot of money," Wei said carefully. She and her organization needed Somers to continue to let them use the port. It was crucial to their business.

"I don't get paid enough to have arrows shot at me," Somers said, anger starting to color his tone. The triad paid him good money, enough for him to pay off a lot of other people, but when those people weren't enough to keep the hoods off of his back, he needed something else. "You need to take this guy seriously! He is a bigger threat to your operation than Nocenti ever was."

'Except now it's Nocenti's daughter who's the problem," Wei argued, "Unlike your friend with the hood, we know where to find her."

"Don't be an idiot, you take out Emily Nocenti and Laurel Lance will never let this go. She won't stop until she burns you, me and then the entire Triad to the ground."

"Then we kill Miss Lance."

*x*

"Listen you moron, don't you have a degree in engineering? I thought you had a degree in engineering. If you use carbon like that you'll set yourself on fire. Use copper or at the very least use aerated nitrogen as a coolant," Tala huffed, her phone held in place between her shoulder and her ear as she waved someone into her office. They had a new looking suit on, and a calm veneer. Tala sent them an apologetic look as she shuffled papers and files around on her desk.

"No, not mechanical engineering! That's why Doctor Wells hired _him_ to help on the Particle Accelerator! Just tell me if it will work?" Hartley Rathaway pleaded on the other end of the call. Tala sighed and looked skyward for divine intervention.

"Weren't you listening? If you use carbon it will explode! Use copper you... You almost had me swearing in my office. Allah help me Hartley, you're going to get me fired from my own company! Just, go find your boyfriend and beg for his help. I have an interview sitting opposite my desk, probably wondering if this job is still with it. Call me after hours and I'll check over his work."

Tala ended the call and apologized to the potential new recruit. She pushed a stack of folders completely off of her desk and pulled out one blue folder.

"Sorry about that, again, he is usually better at not calling me while I'm working, but he's trying to impress someone. So, Kyle James, married, no kids, willing to work my insane hours, that's good. I feel bad for your partner. They're going to hate me," Tala muttered apologetically, glancing down at the CV in her hands.

"No, actually my husband works here, he knows how things are around here," Kyle said gently, but professionally. Tala nodded distractedly.

"Just, no making out in the supply closets. That's all I ask. Now, there is a privacy and a non disclosure form that you'll have to sign, are you alright with that?"

"Is it a standard non-disclosure form, or has it been altered?" Kyle asked, accepting the file that Tala handed him.

"It's the same one that my driver had to sign. Since you are technically working for me, rather than the company, you'll occasionally have to take on some personal whatnots from me. You'll be asked to do things ranging from drunken pick ups of me if my driver's unavailable, lunch or coffee runs, press conferences, making or cancelling appointments, and making sure I'm aware of my schedule, because I honestly have no idea what day it is anymore, and I came in on a Saturday last week, much to the confusion of the security desk."

Kyle took the pen from Tala's desk and signed, "When do I start?"

Tala smiled broadly and nearly cheered. She needed more people like him and her driver in her company.

*x*

"Attorney for shipping magnate, Martin Somers, has confirmed his client has no intention of testifying, maintaining his innocence in the wrongful death of Victor Nocenti," the newscaster said before Tala flicked off the TV.

"What a load of shit," she muttered to herself and Oliver in Arabic. "Here's your shirt, c'mon Ollie."

Oliver took the denim shirt and started pulling it on as Thea walked into the room. Tala looked up from her spot on the bed, a Merlyn Global Group folder resting in front of her.

"Uh, wait, how did you get those?" Thea demanded.

"Don't you knock?" Oliver growled, pulling his shirt on faster, trying to hide the scars.

"No, wait, mom said that... that there were scars!" Thea trailed off as she shoved Oliver into facing her, staring blankly at the scars on his chest. "Oliver, what happened to you out there?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Oliver said lowly. Tala wanted to leave the room, but knew doing so would only bring their attention to her. He moved and started buttoning his shirt up as Thea scoffed in disbelief. Tala could see the tears in her eyes.

"Of course you don't. You never wanna talk to me about anything," Thea turned and started stalking out. "Except for my social life."

Tala sent Oliver a glare, pointing at Thea. He glared before calling out to his sister, "Wait. Where are you going?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"I'm sorry, Thea. I need to get better... at talking about what happened to me there. But I'm not ready yet. Okay?" Oliver asked. Tala watched his body language, ready to intervene if necessary, but she wanted to give them time to work things out for themselves.

"Do you have a second?" Thea waited for Oliver to nod. "Good. I wanna show you something out back."

Tala tossed Oliver a jacket, but stayed where she was. This was for them, not for her. She pulled out her phone and sent a message to Kyle, asking him to meet up with Cody and get the lay of the land.

Oliver followed Thea through the house and out to the grassy area that Oliver used to spend time in in his youth.

"Sometimes, when I felt..." Thea searched for the right emotion, but found that they were still too entangled. "Whatever. I'd come here." Oliver stared at the two headstones that sat proudly in front of him. It had his and his father's name on them. "About a month after the funerals, mom stopped going out. Pretty soon, she stopped talking altogether. The house got so quiet so I'd come here. To talk to you. I mean, stupid stuff, like what I was doing that day, what boy I had a crush on. And then sometimes I'd ask you, beg you to find your way home to me.

"Now, here you are. And the truth is, I felt closer to you when you were dead." Oliver forcibly kept the emotion off of his face, but he felt that it was a near thing. "Look, I know it was hell where you were. But it was hell here too. You gotta let me in, Ollie. You gotta let _someone_ in."

Thea left him there to think, to stare at his headstone and wonder. What would've happened if he hadn't gotten on the boat. How would he be now? How would Tala be? Would he still see the corruption in this city? Or would Laurel be alone in her plight to rid the city of its disease. Laurel... she'd still have her sister.

*x*

Laurel looked up warily at the knocks on her door. She hadn't invited anyone over, and Joanna had a key to her apartment. Laurel moved quietly, hoping they weren't a threat. She glanced through the peephole, then opened the door with a glare.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Oliver asked as a greeting, "There are two cop cars outside."

"How am I supposed to stay away from you, if you won't stay away from me?" Laurel asked instead of answering. "What are you doing here, Ollie?"

"My sister took... She pointed out to me that I've been distant since I got back and that it would probably be a good idea if I let somebody in."

"So you thought you'd start with the first person you pushed away."

"I did that to protect you," Oliver protested tightly. "And then I saw you yesterday and I realized that I hurt you."

It wasn't an apology, but Laurel understood better than Moira did that Oliver wasn't going to be the same person he was back then. She sighed and held the door open more, offering Oliver entry. He thanked her as he walked in and looked around.

"Wow. This place hasn't changed in five years," Oliver said, remembering briefly the last time he was in the apartment.

"I haven't really had time to redecorate," Laurel said, turning to face him. Oliver looked at the ground, genuinely hurt by Laurel's attitude, even though he deserved it.

"I'm a jerk. Before the island, I was a jerk, and now I'm just a, a damaged jerk," Oliver said haltingly. Laurel turned back to him, her arms crossed.

"What's in the bag?" Laurel noticed that he was carrying a brown paper bag.

"I thought about many things on the island," Oliver said, holding the bag up. Laurel wished briefly that he'd stop waxing poetic and get on with it, "but there was one thing that I thought about every day. I actually dreamed about it, and I promised myself that if I ever got a chance to do it again, I'd do it with you."

Laurel suddenly had a very bad feeling about the bag Oliver was holding, closing in on herself, and keeping her arms crossed firmly across her chest. She felt herself smile when Oliver pulled out a half-gallon carton of Ferrington's ice cream. Laurel sat on the couch after spooning some in a bowl, while Oliver sat on the ground, leaning against the couch and ate out of the carton.

"This is as good as I remember." Oliver smiled up at Laurel before sighing heavily. "My mother wants me to join the company. Yeah, take my rightful place."

"I can't exactly picture you as the master of the universe," Laurel said, reminding Oliver of an in-joke they had with Tommy and Sara when they were younger.

"You know, after five years, I have plans," Oliver said, wondering how to phrase his 'manifesto' as Tala called it. The assassin had been much better adjusted than he had, and was often able to joke freely, without feeling forced. She said it was because she had been a killer long before she joined the League of Assassins. "I have things that I have to do. I can't do that if I'm, I dunno, attending board meetings and stockholder briefings."

"Oliver, you're an adult. You can say no," Laurel coached gently.

"Oh, I tried. Didn't take." Oliver could still picture his mother's face, her lips twisting in disappointment as she called him childish for not wanting to take over the company.

"Well, then, don't tell her," Laurel said as if it was that simple. "Show her. Be the person that you want her to see you as. Trust me. I have plenty of experience with disapproving parents."

"I have been on the receiving end of your father's disapproval," Oliver reminded her. Less of his most recent collision, but more of his attempts at dating Laurel prior to the boat wreck.

"He blames himself more than he blames you," Laurel said gently. Her father thought that he had been the one to push Sara away. Or maybe he had been such a bad father that his daughter thought that it was okay to run off with another person's boyfriend. "He thinks that, maybe, if he and Sara were closer, or if he had approved more of her and Tala, she wouldn't have gone. Or that he would've told him about the boat trip. And he could have stopped her from going with you."

"I am sorry." Oliver didn't know what else to say. Especially to Laurel. She wasn't able to beat her frustrations out like Tala was. Like Tala did.

"You apologized already." Laurel stopped, seeing the look in Oliver's eyes. It was more than sadness, more than regret. It went deeper than that.

"And it'll never be enough." Oliver paused as he heard a thud coming from outside the apartment. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Laurel asked, looking around. Oliver pressed a button on his watch that Tala had installed, letting her know that they might have a situation. Oliver heard the creaking of old metal.

"There's someone on the fire escape." Oliver waited until Laurel had her head turned and grabbed the butter knife on the table. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was something.

Oliver started moving to drag Laurel to the front door. They made it there, just as someone kicked it in. Oliver kept up a mental litany of swears as he dragged Laurel away from the gunfire, heading toward her bedroom. They were forced to go in a different direction as someone crashed through the window.

Oliver forced himself to keep a mostly blank face as Chien Na Wei held up her signature daggers. He didn't manage to keep the surprise off his face when John Diggle put two bullets in the back of one of the lackeys, before shooting the one behind Oliver in the bedroom.

Oliver was forced to watch as Wei and John started fighting, torn between protecting Laurel and protecting his secret. When he saw John pinned, with Wei about to stab at John's throat, Oliver made a snap decision and threw the butter knife, knocking the dagger out of her hand. Wei released John and ran for it, seeing herself out numbered. As John thought over Oliver throwing that knife perfectly, Laurel ran into Oliver's arms, trying to understand what had happened.

"Are you hurt?" John demanded as he picked up his side arm.

"No," Oliver panted, holding Laurel tightly.

"Are you hurt Mister Queen?" John demanded again.

"No! No."

"This is why it's a good idea to have a bodyguard," John pointed out. He started sweeping through the apartment, making sure there were no more hidden triad members.

"Hey, you okay?" Oliver asked of Laurel.

"What the hell is going on?" Tala demanded, leaping over the destroyed door. She sprinted over to Laurel and Oliver, scooping the girl into a tight hug, glaring at Oliver over Laurel's shoulder.

"Two Chinese men and a woman attacked us. John put the men down, but she got away," Oliver explained. He held up three fingers, and Tala understood that they were triad. Tala grew grim, and tightened her hold on Laurel.

"The apartment is clear. And the police are on their way," John said coming into the room. "Tala?"

"I heard the police call. I came as soon as I was able. I also called Quentin, he should be here to make sure you're alright."

The coroners and detectives came first, cleaning up the mess and taking statements. Quentin pushed his way through, and ran toward Laurel.

"Daddy!"

"Oh, thank God, thank God!" Quentin pulled Laurel into a hug, for once not antagonizing Oliver. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay. Those cops that you put on me?" Laurel knew they should have responded before John did. Quentin shook his head.

"I went outside to ask for a light, and they were both dead in the squad car," John explained. Tala frowned, knowing John stopped smoking ages ago. Laurel looked stricken, and Tala moved forward to wrap a steadying arm around her.

"Mister Diggle, thank you," Quentin said, shaking the man's hand. "Feel free to run as many red lights in the city as you want."

Tala nudged Laurel, smiling weakly. They both knew it was Quentin's way of trying to lighten the tension in the room.

"I was just doing my job, sir."

"No. Your job is protecting him." Quentin looked over at Oliver, who was still giving his statement. "It seems like whenever you're with one of my daughters, people die. You stay away from Laurel or I swear, the next time you disappear, it will be permanent."

"Quentin, that's not fair. If Ollie hadn't been here, Laurel would be the one dead!"

"Dad!"

"No, Laurel-"

"It's okay. I understand." Oliver had assumed Somers had sent the Triad to silence Laurel. He was furious, and hiding it, just barely.

Oliver drove her and John back to Queen Mansion, where Tala rewrapped John's hand. Oliver tossed him an ice pack.

"I'd say thank you, but I don't think that would cover it," Oliver said.

"Well, like I told your cop friend, I was just doing my job." Tala rolled her eyes. "Besides, I think it should be you that I'm thanking."

"What for?" Oliver asked, looking confused, but Tala saw the tightness in his spine.

"The knife." John said.

"The knife," Oliver echoed, mentally scrambling to come up with an excuse that John would buy. "I got lucky."

"That was a kitchen knife. It wasn't even weighted properly yet you threw it with accuracy across a ten-foot room." John said. "I thought it was T, but she wasn't in the right spot."

"I just got lucky. I was aiming for her shoulder."

"I'm not the kind of man you want to take for a fool, Mister Queen, do you understand me?" Oliver nodded tightly. "And I think I'm beginning to understand the kind of man you are."

"Shouldn't take you very long." Tala frowned behind John's back. She wondered if Oliver wanted John to know. "I'm shallow. And very tired, so... Goodnight."

"C'mon, Johnny, I'll walk you out."

"T, even you have to admit, that throw was more than luck."

"Johnny, he spent five years on a deserted island. They don't have cooks, or grocery stores on deserted islands in the middle of the Yellow Sea. How do you think he survived?" John looked pensive. "Oliver doesn't want to be treated different. There's a reason he doesn't want a bodyguard. He doesn't need one, and you know I don't."

"T, things just don't add up with him!"

"John. Ollie told me all about his time on Lian Yu. He got good enough with a knife to hunt and survive on that island. Maybe not good enough to take on the Triad - and don't think I won't be telling Lyla about that stunt you pulled today."

"So you're telling me to lighten up?"

"I'm asking you to trust me. Ollie's not a bad guy. He's just... different. Goodnight Johnny."

Tala suited up normally this time, forgoing her magic in her frustration. She tightened her boots and looked up at Oliver, who was staring at his gloves.

"I wanted to give Martin Somers the chance to confess and face a court's justice. But he chose to go after someone I care about instead."

"He's still going to face justice," Tala said. She stood up and attached her quiver. Unlike Oliver's, hers went around her thigh, keeping it nearby, and easily accessible. "It'll just be a different kind."

*x*

"Triad bitch screwed up the hit on Lance," Somers snarled at his bodyguard as he shoved money and files into his briefcase. "Now, the Triad is gonna erase every ounce of evidence of their smuggling operation, including me. Except that's not gonna happen. Tell Wallace to get the boat ready. I'm leaving tonight."

"Wallace?" The radio crackled with static instead of an answer. Somers got the feeling that he was in trouble. "Wallace, you copy? Wallace?"

"Wallace isn't here right now," Tala cooed through the radio. Oliver was propping the stevedore up against the wall of the cabin of the boat. He wasn't their target, just a man in the way. They wouldn't kill him. "But we are."

"We need to move, now. Move!" Somers snapped at his bodyguard, panic evident in his voice.

"Sir, we've got six men out there!"

"That's not enough, move it!"

*x*

"You're gonna go back into that courtroom tomorrow and you're gonna recuse yourself from this case, alright?" Quentin demanded of Laurel. "Or drop it. Either way, you're done."

"If you think I'm going to abandon Emily Nocenti then you don't know me all that well," Laurel retorted. The hit on her life made her sure that she was chasing the right leads.

"You don't know me well, young lady! I will lock you in a cell if that's what it takes."

"Well, I guess that's what it's gonna take, then," Laurel said, standing from the couch.

"Damnit Laurel!" Her father's outburst stopped her before she could get to the door. "I thought after what happened with Sara you'd stop being just so reckless."

"It's not about being reckless!" Laurel shouted. She hated it when her father brought up Sara to try and control what she did. "It's just the opposite. I'm trying to make this city safer, just like you."

"Sweetie, you're my only daughter, Laurel. You're all I have left to live for."

"But what you want from me isn't living." Laurel knew her dad meant well, but with his tendencies to wrap her in bubble wrap, she wanted to scream. Some days, that's all she wanted to do; scream and scream until she passed out. "Having cops around, not being able to do my job."

"Your job is not going after people like the Triad or Somers!" Quentin forced out, trying to keep from yelling again.

"My job is to use the law to fight for what is right!" Laurel forced herself to not yell. If her dad was trying to stay civil, so would she. "Just like you taught me."

"Well, that's dirty," Quentin said. "Using me against me. You can't do that."

"Well, maybe I picked that up along the way, too." Laurel was unrepentant. He used Sara against her every time he wanted her to be less, her. She was sick of it.

Quentin looked like he was going to respond, but his phone rang, distracting them both.

"Lance."

"Sir, we got a report from the wharf side. Somers Imports." Laurel could hear the other side of the conversation clearly, and it only proved her point.

"I'll be right there." Quentin looked at her daughter, and knew that he had lost the argument. "I gotta go. 'Cause something's going on at the docks."

*x*

"You know, Alaiqtisas, I hate being shot at," Tala joked as she shot one of Somers' men. He fell, groaning. He would live.

"Then shoot them first," Oliver said, putting down another man. "Somers!"

Tala leapt over the railing and rolled, hitting the ground with more force than she expected as she chased after the smuggler. She fired, easily pinning him to a crate.

"Oh, God, no, no, no!"

"He can't help you," Oliver snarled as he caught up. Oliver fired another arrow, pinning his other shoulder in place. Neither arrow drew blood. "I want the truth about Victor Nocenti!"

"I can't! The Triad will kill me!"

"I'll kill you," Tala replied, sounding bored. She twirled an arrow in her fingers before notching it on her bow and aiming it at Somers' throat. Oliver fired an arrow, pinning his pants leg to the crate.

"Alright, alright, alright! It wasn't me that killed him. It was the Triad!"

"Acting on whose instructions?" Oliver demanded. Somers didn't answer. Tala fired her arrow just above his head, sticking out of the crate. Somers screamed, glancing up at the arrow before looking back at the vigilantes.

"Alright, alright, it was mine! It was mine, alright?" Somers looked like he was going to cry, so Tala refrained from pulling out another arrow. "Nocenti said he was gonna testify against me!"

Somers looked over Oliver's shoulder, and Tala spun around, coming nearly nose-to-nose with Chien Na Wei.

"Move away from him," Chien Na said in Chinese.

"Make me," Oliver replied in the same. Chien Na moved first, putting Oliver on the defensive.

"Alaiqtisas, if you would stop moving, I could get a shot here!"

"If I stop moving, I'll be dead before you can take the shot!" Oliver shot back, dodging a kick from Wei. Tala lowered her bow as she heard the telltale sound of a helicopter.

"This is the police, drop your weapons." Chien Na and Oliver both froze before taking off in different directions. "You are surrounded. Come out with your hands up."

Tala trailed Oliver as they dropped off the edge of a shipping container. Stopping only as Quentin Lance appeared from around the corner.

"Freeze!" Tala muttered a few rude words under her breath as she stopped at Oliver's shoulder. "You twitch, and you're dead. Bows down, hands up."

Tala moved quickly, and threw a flechette that knocked the gun out of Quentin's hands, as Oliver threw the recorder that they used to tape Somers. It stuck to the shipping container. When Quentin looked back at them, both vigilantes were gone.

Quentin hesitantly pressed play on the green flechette and heard Somers' confession. "You son of a bitch."

*x*

Tala went straight to Merlyn Global Group after she pushed away her armor, pulling on a neat grey pantsuit. Her driver met her at the door, standing next to her new personal assistant.

"Breakfast."

"And coffee, Miss Merlyn."

"Oh, I love you two," Tala said, falling on the coffee like she would die without it. "Schedule for today?"

"The Queen Consolidated groundbreaking is this morning. Your father sent out a strongly worded memo that we would be supporting QC in their upcoming endeavor."

"When Ollie makes this thing into a Merlyn sponsored scandal, I'm going to laugh." Tala started into the building as her phone went off.

" _Laurel was right. I can't be the Oliver my mother wants me to be and still keep the promise I made to my father. I have to be the person I need them to see me as."_ Tala sighed at the text, knowing he was going to cause a scene. She wasn't looking forward to being at the groundbreaking.

"First thing you have is a meeting with the regional director from Central City," Kyle said, flipping through a stack of papers. Cody had to open all the doors as Kyle was passing half of them to Tala, as she tried to juggle breakfast, coffee and the schedule.

"We don't have an office in Central. Tina would throw a fit. Not to mention Doctor Wells. If we had an office there, I'd have already moved out there." Tala shoved her breakfast sandwich in her mouth to free up her hands to look at the agenda that Kyle handed her.

"It's not there yet. Your father is working hard to put an office there. Between Doctor McGee, and Doctor Wells, he is having a difficult time having a legitimate reason to have one there," Kyle explained.

"And between the Rathaways and the Wayne Foundation, he is having trouble finding a suitable building," Cody picked up.

"Why do we ehen 'ant a triggin gui'din'?" Tala said through her bagel.

"You'll have to ask him that, not us." Tala rolled her eyes, before she dropped into her chair.

"He's going to be the death of me, I swear it," Tala complained as her computer booted up. "Alright, send him in. Cody, if you could-"

"More coffee, and lunch for you and Kyle. No pork for you, no meat for him. Italian?"

Tala looked at him like he gave her the sun. Kyle thanked him, already lost in a pile of paperwork.

*x*

"Okay, this is a surprise," Tommy said as he approached Laurel and Tala. "Laurel, did you show up here by mistake?"

"By invitation," Laurel said.

"Oh."

"Relax, T. I invited her. Dad made me come represent the company, and I just know that Oliver is going to mess this up. Someone is going to have to keep me from throttling him."

"You think?" Tommy asked.

"Ollie has plans. Thinks that if he steps up to run the company, at least, if he does it now, he won't be able to do what he needs to," Tala explained. "I can multitask, and I have a degree. He doesn't, and can't."

"Good afternoon," Walter said from the stage. "And thank you all for coming. Welcome to the future site of the Robert Queen Memorial Applied Sciences Center. Now this is a building that will stand as a monument to the man whose company and vision are his greatest legacies."

"Woah, woah!" Oliver walked in from the back, pausing to drink from a mimosa. Laurel and Tommy looked anxious, Tala rolled her eyes. "What about me? Right? I'm a legacy. Hey, thanks for warming them up, Walt."

"I'm gonna kill him." Tala muttered. She pulled out her phone to text her dad. _I told you so._

"Some of you may not know me. My name is Oliver Queen. Uh, watch some television. Read a newspaper. I'm kinda famous right now." Tala forcibly did not cover her face, but she did feel Tommy put his hand on her back in sympathy.

"Company issues?"

"Dad's paying for this. He's determined to fund the applied sciences center. I have no idea why," Tala groaned.

"Mostly though, I'm famous because I'm Robert Queen's son." Tala could see the pain flit across Oliver's face as he stuttered through the word. "Uh, but as Walter, who's my new dad... Sorry. As Walter was saying, uh. I'm not much of a legacy, per se."

Walter tried to stop the train wreck in its tracks, but unfortunately, Walter Steele isn't Captain America. Oliver pushed through, waving Walter away.

"See, I was supposed to come here today, and I'm supposed to take my rightful place at the company. Prodigal son returns home and becomes the heir apparent." Oliver paused and studied the reactions of the crowd. Tala understood. Tommy was confused by the show, but knew that he didn't want to work at the company. Laurel seemed to see past the drunken facade, and into a part of Oliver that he didn't often acknowledge. The son of a genius, the boy who didn't know anything except privilege, but wanted to learn. She saw Oliver was hurting, and confused. "But I'm now my father. I'm not the man he was. I'm not half the man he was. I never will be. So please. Stop asking me to be."

Oliver walked off stage, stabbing the golden, groundbreaking shovel into the dirt. Tala left Tommy and Laurel where they were standing, and hurried over to Oliver, just in time to slip in the back of his car with him.

"Where to, Mister Queen?" John asked as he caught up with them.

"Take us home, Johnny, it's been a long day," Tala said, understanding what Oliver was feeling.

*x*

"Martin Somers, CEO of Starling Port was arrested last night for the murder of Victor Nocenti," the news reporter was saying on the TV in Laurel's office.

"Well, we can pursue the civil suit if you want," Joanna said as she snapped off the TV. "But the DA now has no choice with Mister Somers' confession, to prosecute him."

"He's going to jail, Emily," Laurel said proudly. Even if it wasn't her win, it was a win. "For the rest of his life."

"Thank you, so much, for fighting for us."

"Well, thank you for being brave enough to let me," Laurel said. Emily smiled at the two lawyers and left, just as Quentin Lance walked in.

"Hey."

"I thought I didn't need police protection anymore," Laurel said, ignoring her father in favor of crossing the room to her desk.

"I thought I didn't need a reason to see my own daughter," Quentin countered.

"You don't," Laurel allowed. Quentin followed after her, stopping next to her desk. "Hmm. You look tired."

"Yeah, I was filling out reports on the shootout at the port last night, and gettin' grilled about how I let that... archer get away."

"I have to admit, I'm kinda glad he did," Laurel admitted. "He brought down Martin Somers."

"He hurt a bunch of people doing it, okay? He is no hero. He's an anarchist," Quentin stated, as if that made it the truth."

"Yeah, well, whoever he is, it seems like he's trying to help."

"The city doesn't need that kinda help, okay? It's like I always told you, you don't need to go outside the law to find justice. No, I believe that, alright? And I promise you, when I catch this guy, he's gonna believe it, too."

*x*

Tala crossed her office, barefoot, drinking a mug of coffee as Kyle worked on her schedule for the next week. A knock from her door startled them both.

"Dad?"

"Hey honey. I'm going home. I've gotta stop by a friend and check on them. Are you coming home for dinner?"

"No, Tommy and I are going out. But I'll be home later. I need a change of clothes. I'll see you in the morning, drive safe." Tala turned back to Kyle as her dad left. "So tell me again about that dinner? Do I have to be there?"

*x*

There is an abandoned bridge in Starling City. That was where he was headed. Moira Queen was already there, waiting.

"Well, you saw for yourself. My son knows nothing," Moira said in lieu of a proper greeting. "Robert didn't tell him anything that could hurt us. And he has no idea that the yacht was sabotaged."

Malcolm believed her, but he doubted that Oliver was as innocent as he seemed. His daughter was rarely home, and Oliver's return seemed coincidental with the appearance of the hood. The blue arrows were of particular interest, as they were familiar.

*x*

Oliver looked at his and his father's graves in the far back of the property. He had spoken it over with Thea, and they no longer needed one for him. "All that time on the island, plotting my return, I didn't... I didn't realize how hard it would be to reconnect with Mom, Thea... Laurel. Okay, I didn't... I didn't know how painful it would be to keep my secrets. You asked me to save the city. To right your wrongs. I will. I swear. But to do that... I can't be the Oliver that everyone wants me to be which means that sometimes, to honor your wishes, I need to dishonor your memory. I'm sorry."

Tala placed her hand on Oliver's shoulder. They didn't need to speak, not now. Not between them. Tala waved over the workers, who were going to take away the gravestones. There was no need to mark an empty grave.

"Will you be going out tonight sir?" John asked.

"Definitely." Tala sighed and knew that she would have to tell John, before he figured it out on his own. If she didn't, he would be mad.


End file.
